Lavrov: The double-standard West accepted Kosovo independence, but not the Crimean referendum

Lavrov, in an interview for the Russian military newspaper Krasnaya Ziesda, said the <x0m>godship has used double standards with Kosovo's independence and the prosecution of Crime by Russia”.

We have to stop these double standards where: When Kosovo declared independence without a referendum, self-rule was called. But when Crimea held a transparent referendum with the participation of hundreds of European observers, parliamentarians, public figures, this meant violating the principle of Ukraine's territorial integrity. This hypocrisy, this cynicism, and these double standards, is what we are constantly forced to deal with”Lavrov said.

In the same interview, Lavrov praised Trump and accused the European powers that have gathered around Kiev of aiming to prolong the war in Ukraine.

Lavrov said that the United States still wants to be the most powerful country in the world and that Washington and Moscow will never agree on everything, but that they have agreed to be pragmatic when interests agree.

The foreign minister of Vladimir Putin's regime said the US-Kina model of relations is one that should be built between Russia and the United States to do many “mutually helpful things”.

“Donald Trump is pragmatist”, Lavrov said. “His slogan is common sense. It means, as everyone can see, a change in another way of acting”.