Russia’s leverage to influence Ukraine’s self-proclaimed republics not 100% — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed that Russia has certain leverage to influence the leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics, but it is not 100%

“Certainly, we do have an influence on them. They are greatly dependent on us. To take humanitarian aid alone, which no other donor provides there in such great amounts,” Lavrov said.

“And, of course, they depend on us politically, because we want to see their legitimate rights as part of the Ukrainian people respected in the context of the settlement. Is that influence as great as 100%? Certainly not,” Lavrov told the RBC television channel in an interview.