Russia rejects Geneva talks, denies US concerns

Russia Tuesday ruled out holding a fresh round of talks in Geneva for defusing the Ukraine crisis and refuted the US military's concerns that the activity of long-range warplanes over the Pacific is linked to Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was no point as last month's accord between the US, EU and Russia has not been implemented, BBC reported Tuesday.

The Russian minister was speaking after a Council of Europe meeting where ministers were expected to support the Ukrainian authorities' plans for a May 25 presidential poll.

Lavrov said it would be "unusual" for it to take place when the army was being used against the population.

Ukrainian acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia said Ukraine was ready to back a new round of talks in Geneva as long as Moscow supported presidential elections.

Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry Tuesday refuted remarks of a senior US military official, saying the activity of long-range warplanes over the Pacific has nothing to do with Ukraine.

Linking Russian warplanes' scheduled flights in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean to the situation in Ukraine can only attest to the poor knowledge of geography for these regions are located in different hemispheres, a media report quoted a ministry source as saying.

Earlier in the day, Commander of the US Pacific Air Forces Herbert Carlisle said at the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies that Russian strategic warplanes' activity, including that of TU-95 strategic bombers over the Pacific, has been connected with the events in Ukraine.

The goal of the Russian Air Force's intensified activity in the Pacific region was to demonstrate its capabilities and gather intelligence, Carlisle said.