Russia's Foreign Minister Refuses To Attend U.S., U.K. And Ukraine Meeting

Foreign Ministers Meet Over Ukraine, as EU Offers Aid -- Wall Street Journal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Is Absent From Meeting

Diplomatic efforts to defuse the tension in Ukraine were stepped up on Wednesday, as the foreign ministers of the U.S., U.K. and Ukraine met to discuss the crisis—though Russia's top diplomat refused to attend, according to U.S. and British officials.

Meanwhile, the European Union said it would make at least €11 billion ($15.12 billion) in grants and loans available for Ukraine in the next couple of years, although much of the money would have strings attached and require approval from member states and other institutions.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague convened a meeting Wednesday of the four signatories of the Budapest Memorandum—which includes the U.S., U.K., Russia and Ukraine—to spark a dialogue between Kiev and Moscow, according to American and British officials.

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My Comment: If Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had attended .... he would have given legitimacy to the interim Ukrainian government in Kiev .... a government that Russia refuses to recognize. Russian FM Lavrov probably also realized that they would only "pile on him" in such a public forum .... so why show up.