By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) – The Russian and Chinese top diplomats discussed the recent developments in Ukraine over the phone on Thursday.
According to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed that the reason for the current crisis is Kyiv's refusal, supported by the US and its allies, to implement the Minsk agreements.
Lavrov and Wang also stressed that "Russia and China insist on the necessity for all countries to respect the principle of the indivisibility of security."
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region early Thursday.
The Russian intervention followed Moscow's recognition of the two eastern Ukrainian breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk on Monday.
The announcement drew global condemnation as a violation of the UN Charter and international law, with Western countries announcing new sanctions against Russia.
Explosions were reported in several Ukrainian provinces, including the capital Kyiv, and tanks reportedly crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine early Thursday.