In Geneva, during talks with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has firmly defended the Kremlin’s policy in Ukraine.

While Ban, himself, urged Moscow to refrain from acts and rhetoric that might worsen the situation, Lavrov, in an address to the UN’s Human Rights Council, blamed the West for polarising Ukranian society.

‘‘Those who attempt to interpret the situation as an act of aggression and threaten us with sanctions and boycotts – these are the very same partners of ours who have consistently encouraged political forces close to them to deliver an ultimatum and refuse dialogue, to ignore the concerns of the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, which has ultimately polarised Ukrainian society. We call for a responsible approach to put aside geo-political calculations, and above all to put the interests of the Ukrainian people first,’‘ Lavrov said.

Despite a wave of Western criticism against Moscow, inside Russia several large-scale rallies were held across the country over the weekend in support of President Vladimir Putin’s position on Ukraine.