Russia on Wednesday criticized the West for excessive involvement in Ukraine's current presidential election crisis, saying it is inflaming tension in the former Soviet republic.

While Russia believes the crisis "should be resolved on the basis of laws of that country," some European countries' excessiveinvolvement in Ukraine's political crisis has increased tension there, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was cited by Interfax News Agency as saying.

It was only after talk of a possible split between Ukraine's southern and eastern regions that "our western colleagues began tocall for restraint and the necessity to respect the Constitution of Ukraine," the foreign minister said.

He pledged that Russia may help settle the situation in Ukrainewithin the framework of Ukrainian law if it receives a request from the Ukrainian leadership to do so.

To prevent Ukraine from splitting, the Russian minister called on Western countries to apply the same standard to both parties and perceive Ukraine's current situation as the country's own internal affairs.

Source: Xinhua