Russia regrets Ukraine's move to rotate troops in east

Reuters
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with Tanzania's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Bernard Membe (not pictured) in Moscow, January 16, 2015. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian is concerned that a rotation by Kiev of frontline forces in eastern Ukraine could undermine peace efforts, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday. "Any action related to military preparations does not help the process," Lavrov told a news conference, expressing hope that President Petro Poroshenko would not yield to those who seek a military solution to the conflict. "We will hope that all this ... does not lead to a renewed military confrontation." (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Timothy Heritage)