In phone call, US' Blinken reaffirms support for Ukraine

By Dilara Hamit

ANKARA (AA) – In a Tuesday phone call, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba the US’ unwavering support in the wake of Russia’s latest moves.

"The Secretary noted our swift response to Russia’s decision to recognize the purported ‘independence’ of the so-called republics controlled by Russian proxy authorities in eastern Ukraine," said a US State Department readout of the call. “They discussed the strong measures we announced today in response and reiterated that additional steps would be forthcoming.”

Blinken added that he was looking forward to seeing Kuleba on Wednesday in Washington D.C., where they would continue to discuss these issues.

On Twitter, Kuleba said of the call: “Taking into account the dynamics of the situation, I had another call with @SecBlinken ahead of our tomorrow’s meeting in Washington, DC. Key topic: sanctions. I underscored the need to impose tough sanctions on Russia in response to its illegal actions.”

- Russia's latest moves

In a speech late Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the recognition of the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, also attacking Ukraine’s government and accusing the West of ignoring Moscow’s core security concerns.

Later, he ordered the deployment of Russian troops to “maintain peace” in the breakaway regions.

Putin’s moves have been widely condemned as serious violations of international law, and Western countries have vowed harsh new sanctions

The US and its European allies have said Russia is setting the stage to invade Ukraine with a buildup of over 100,000 troops and heavy equipment in and around its neighbor.

Russia has denied that it is preparing to invade and instead accuses Western countries of undermining its security through NATO’s expansion toward its borders.

In 2014, Moscow began supporting separatist forces in eastern Ukraine against the central government. The conflict has taken more than 13,000 lives, according to the UN.