(MENAFN- UkrinForm) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau have discussed by phone the situation in eastern Ukraine and the need to support Kyiv in light of Russian aggression, including sanctions against Russia.
The phone call between the two countries' foreign ministers took place on Tuesday, April 13, at the initiative of the U.S. side, the Polish Foreign Ministry's press service reported.
The diplomats drew attention to unprecedented Russian military activity since 2014 near Ukraine's borders and in the occupied Crimea, which causes "significant concern and poses a threat to international security." They noted that the situation had been further aggravated by "the lack of a constructive response from the Russian Federation to diplomatic initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions and reducing risk."
According to both sides, such actions lead to the "polarization of the situation in the Donbas, which has significantly deteriorated recently."
Blinken and Rau agreed on the need for further support for Ukraine in light of Russia's aggression.
"They acknowledged the need to take steps, including sanctions, to persuade Russia to ease tensions with Ukraine and to fully engage in the implementation of the Minsk agreements," the statement said.
Rau also briefed Blinken on the results of his recent visit to Ukraine.
In addition, the two countries' foreign ministers discussed the situation in Afghanistan and NATO's further involvement in maintaining stability in that country, in particular as part of the Resolute Support Mission.
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