The Ukrainian authorities "act with impunity" on various issues because they are "shielded by our Western partners, or by some of them, at least," and their "irreconcilable" position in talks on natural gas trade with Russia is one way this "impunity" manifests itself in, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday.
"We hope this arrogant and uncompromising position is not backed by a third power, although we have some reasons to think so."