"Ukraine can only exist as a state that recognizes the diversity of its constituent regions and cultures," he said.
According to Lavrov, it is necessary to maintain the unity of Ukraine and keep it friendly in relation to Russia, and towards Europe.
"In order to do this, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and the Ukrainian ministers should abandon the obstinacy with regard to compulsory preservation of a unitary Ukraine. They must abandon what they call ‘Ukrainization,’" Lavrov said.
The minister also said that it was important to "keep Ukraine neutral, primarily neutral in a military and political sense."
"Ukraine’s split means only one thing: the West and NATO will try to make Ukraine anti-Russian, we all understand this very well," he said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that Ukraine would remain a unitary state and almost 90% of citizens supported such a model of the state.
