Ukraine and US Discuss Diplomatic Efforts On De-Escalation

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed diplomatic efforts on de-escalation of the crisis in and around Ukraine during a telephone conversation.

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The two leaders talked over the U.S. diplomatic presence in Ukraine and the results of the recent Normandy talks. Zelensky and Biden also touched upon the issues of the U.S. military support for Kiev and the ways to increase financial support for Ukraine amid the crisis.

At the talks, Zelensky thanked Biden for the "strong and unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity," and for the U.S. leadership in mobilizing the world community to resolve Ukraine's crisis.

The Ukrainian president also expressed his hope that the U.S. "would take further steps to enhance defense cooperation" with Kiev and "strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities."

The talks marked the second conversation between the Ukrainian and the U.S. leaders since the beginning of the year. Since November, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Russia of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion."

Russia denied the accusation, saying that Russia has the right to mobilize troops within its borders to defend its territory as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's activities constitute a threat to Russia's border security.

Advisors to the heads of state and government of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia met on Wednesday in Paris under the Normandy format and called for an unconditional ceasefire in the Donbas region of Ukraine, where an armed conflict has been underway since April 2014.