Updated 9:48 p.m. Moscow Time
NEW YORK, September 26 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is not planning to undermine the Ukrainian economy, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.
"Nobody has considered or planning to consider any punitive measures against Ukraine, or actions to undermine the Ukrainian economy," Lavrov told reporters on the sidelines of the current UN General Assembly session in New York.
Since the Ukrainian conflict escalated, the West and the new Kiev government kept blaming Russia for meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs and destabilizing Ukraine.
In fact, Russia in contrary has done everything possible to stabilize the situation in neighboring Ukraine, urging for peaceful talks between the conflicting parties. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that Russia in not a party to Ukraine's internal conflict.
On September 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined a seven-point plan for settling the crisis in Ukraine, calling on Kiev to withdraw troops from southeastern regions of the country and the militia to cease its military advances.
A proposed plan was an important step towards a ceasefire agreement between Kiev and independence supporters in eastern Ukraine, which was established on September 5 during a meeting of the trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine in Minsk.
