Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses the media at the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in The Hague, Netherlands, on Monday, March 24, 2014. Nuclear terrorism is officially the main topic for world leaders at a two-day summit in the Netherlands, in practice, the Ukraine crisis overshadows those talks. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)
March 24, 2014 - 11:30 AM
THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says he has met for the first time with his Ukrainian counterpart to discuss the Ukraine crisis.
Lavrov spoke Monday after meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia in the Hague, where both attended an international security summit. The meeting was the first such encounter between the two ministers since last month's ouster of the pro-Russian Ukrainian president and Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Lavrov also said that Moscow is unfazed by the West's intention to snub the Group of Eight summit that Russia was set to host in Sochi.
Lavrov said the G-8 format has been useful to discuss global crises, such as the Iran nuclear standoff or the Syrian civil war, but that Russia "will not be clinging to this format."
News from © The Associated Press, 2014