White House: Russia should take measures to de-escalate around Ukraine for progress in negotiations
Photo: Anton Vaganov / Reuters
The US called on Russia to take steps to de-escalate the border with Ukraine to ensure the success of upcoming diplomatic contacts. This was reported by RIA Novosti with reference to a high-ranking representative of the White House.
“We continue to observe a significant presence of Russian troops on and around the borders with Ukraine. We continue to tell the Russian side that for real progress in the negotiations, a context of de-escalation will be needed, not escalation, ”he said.
Earlier, the leaders of Western countries – Britain, the United States, France, Germany and Italy – called on Russia to de-escalate tensions on the border with Ukraine. They also called for the resumption of negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in the “Normandy format”.
The White House also said that American leader Joe Biden intends to discuss de-escalation around Ukraine during a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, December 30.
