Pro-Russian citizens in Ukraine's Crimea region must be willing to replace armed forces with international observers if the new government allows a vote for more autonomy, Ukraine's foreign minister said today ahead of a possible meeting with Moscow's top diplomat.
Andriy Deshchytsia, in an Associated Press interview before he planned to head to the airport for a flight home, also struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone toward Russia, whose troops have taken over the Crimean government.
But only 90 minutes later, he said he would remain in Paris for the night after US Secretary of State John Kerry renewed prospects for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Attempts earlier today had failed to arrange what would be the highest-level meeting between officials from Russia and the new government in Kiev since the crisis began.
It was the latest twist as Kerry and Western officials sought to ease the standoff between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the upstart government in neighboring Ukraine that ousted its Moscow-friendly president last month.
Putin responded by sending troops to Crimea, a pro-Russian peninsula in southeastern Ukraine where some are demanding a referendum for independence from Kiev.
Deshchytsia said such a vote would be unconstitutional. But he said Kiev is willing to consider giving more autonomy to Crimea and other regions though what he described as a plebiscite. He said that could only happen in the presence of international observers, and without violence or armed groups in the streets.
"So this could be done where people can express their will or how they want to improve life in their local regions," Deshchytsia told the AP. "We wanted to deliver this message to the Crimea but they do not recognise us. So that is the problem."
He said he "absolutely" wanted to inform Lavrov of the offer.
He also was unequivocal in insisting that Crimea must remain part of Ukraine. "There's no question," Deshchytsia said.
His message appeared part of a new appeal by Kiev to soothe demands in Crimea for independence. Ukraine's prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, announced the offer of a local vote just hours earlier, in a separate AP interview.
Kerry met with Lavrov twice today on the sidelines of a Paris conference focused on aid for a refugee overflow in Lebanon from the civil war in neighboring Syria. He was expected to brief reporters later today evening after additional talks with French diplomats.
