"Any agreement on Ukraine must ensure Russia's security" - Lavrov

Any peace agreement on Ukraine must ensure Russia's security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

"Without respecting Russia's security interests, without full respect for the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people living in Ukraine, there can be no talk of long-term agreements," Lavrov said after the US president met with Ukrainian and European leaders yesterday.

The head of the Russian foreign policy department added that Moscow does not refuse any form of negotiations on Ukraine - either bilateral or trilateral. However, any high-level contacts must be carefully prepared.