Russian and US Foreign Ministers hold phone talks on Ukraine conflict and Middle East situation

On March 15, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone to discuss the next stage in negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Russian and US Foreign Ministers held a phone call on March 15. (Source: Russian Foreign Ministry)

US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the two top diplomats "agreed to continue efforts to restore communication channels between the US and Russia".

However, the announcement did not give details on when the next round of US-Russia talks, which are being hosted by Saudi Arabia, will begin.

Despite a tense exchange between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in late February, Kiev agreed in principle to a US-brokered 30-day unconditional ceasefire if Moscow halted its offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he supported ending the conflict but needed further discussions with the US and had specific conditions.

According to the US announcement, Secretary of State Rubio also updated Foreign Minister Lavrov on US military operations in the Middle East.

The first US strike against Houthi forces in Yemen killed at least 21 people on March 15, according to an update from the force.

The Russian Foreign Ministry's announcement stated that, following the February 12 phone call between the Russian President and his US counterpart, the two Foreign Ministers agreed to maintain an open communication channel to resolve long-term issues in Russia-US relations.

The two sides expressed their commitment to engaging on important international issues, including the situation in Ukraine, developments in Palestine and the Middle East, and other regional issues.

"The two foreign ministers reaffirmed their readiness to restore respectful and constructive inter-state dialogue in line with the approach set by the presidents. They agreed to maintain regular contacts, including discussions on preparations for a potential high-level Russian-American summit," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ngoai-truong-nga-my-dien-dam-ve-xung-dot-ukraine-va-tinh-hinh-trung-dong-307778.html