AKIPRESS.COM - Although expressing different points of view over the Ukrainian crisis, Russia and the U.S. have agreed to seek common grounds to deescalate tensions and implement necessary reforms, having in mind that Ukrainians themselves should decide their future, RT reported several hours ago.

“We have conducted intensive negotiations in the first place, on the crisis in Ukraine,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after 4 hours of negotiations with his U.S. Counterpart. “We expressed dissenting views on its causes, but agreed to seek common ground to resolve the situation in Ukraine.”

“We have agreed to work with the Ukrainian government, the Ukrainian people in the broadest sense, to achieve the implementation of such priority measures as minority rights, language rights, disarmament of provocateurs, implementing constitutional reforms and having free and fair elections under international supervision,” Lavrov told the journalists.

The Russian foreign minister stressed that neither Russia nor the United States can impose any plans on Ukraine, drafted unilaterally without the Ukrainian side.

“We are convinced that federalization is a very important component of this reform, the most important is to ensure the unity of Ukraine taking into account the interests of all regions of the country, without exceptions, so that the country functions as a state. We need to find a compromise, consensus among all regions,” the minister added.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry confirmed that “differences of opinion about events” that led to Ukraine crisis did not stop the sides from looking for ways to deescalate the security and political situation “in and around Ukraine.”

“The U.S. and Russia have differences of opinion about events that led to this crisis but both of us recognize the importance of finding a diplomatic solution and simultaneously meeting the needs of the Ukrainian people, and that we agreed on tonight," Kerry said.

Speaking to the press, Secretary Kerry took a chance to once again remind that Washington still considered Russia’s actions in Ukraine “illegal and illegitimate.” He also voiced his concerns about a “very large Russian force currently massing along Ukraine’s borders,” despite the fact that four international missions, observation flights and even representatives from Ukraine did not record any suspicious or aggressive military activities.