Russia Wants to Ensure Peace in Ukraine, Not to Indulge Western Leaders — Lavrov

February 26, 13:25 UTC+3

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said observers, including those from the OSCE mission, report a significant decline in shelling in eastern Ukraine

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe report that the intensity of attacks in east Ukraine has significantly declined, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday, adding that the ceasefire is still producing results.

"Impartial observers, including those from the OSCE mission, report a significant decline in shelling, which means that the truce still produces results," Lavrov said, noting that contrary to expectations of those who "want to frustrate the Minsk agreements" and "claim that the truce doesn’t work", there was ample evidence confirming that the ceasefire deal reached in the Belarusian capital had delivered "tangible results".

"For us, it is most important not to indulge these or those Western countries or leaders, who threaten us with sanctions, but the key thing is to ensure peace and sustainable political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis," Lavrov said.