This morning President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone conversation, amidst much talk this week of “Russian aggression.” U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price yesterday, when asked about Russia-U.S. relations, said, “we can’t forget Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, including violations of the July 2020 ceasefire that led to the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers on March 26th and injuries to others.”
The U.S. readout of the Presidents’ call stated that Biden “reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea.” This call follows on three prior high-level calls this week between the two nations’ top officials for foreign affairs, military and defense departments.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in his call with Ukrainian Defense Minister Andrii Taran, stressed, according to the Pentagon readout, “unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. He condemned recent escalations of Russian aggressive and provocative actions in eastern Ukraine and offered condolences to Minister Taran on the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers on March 26.”
Russia and the Donbas militia deny such an incident even took place, and the OECD reported nothing on the day in question.
