Russia, US to Hold New Meeting on Ukraine Before End of July

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin called his Tuesday meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland "very detailed, open, overall constructive meeting."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The bilateral US-Russia meeting on the situation in Ukraine was constructive and open, the sides agreed to hold another round of talks before the end of July, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said on Thursday.

US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met Karasin in Zurich on Tuesday.

"This was our third meeting by the agreement of the US and Russian presidents. It was completely dedicated to what is taking place within the framework of both sides to the Ukrainian conflict abiding by the Minsk agreements. It was a very detailed, open, overall constructive meeting," Karasin told RIA Novosti.

According to Karasin, the sides discussed issues of security, the humanitarian situation in southeastern Ukraine, social and economic issues, as well as constitutional reforms and elections.

The sides "agreed to continue… contacts, and, maybe, we shall find a frame to communicate and discuss the same issues before the end of July," Karasin said.

Russia's relations with the West deteriorated dramatically over Crimea's reunification with Russia and the Ukrainian crisis. Washington accused Moscow of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs and escalating the armed conflict in the east of the country, which Russia has repeatedly denied.

Russia has underscored that Moscow is always ready for dialogue with Washington and other Western partners.

In late May, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would leave room for cooperation with the United States despite tensions between the two countries, stressing that such contacts should be in the interest of both sides.