US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday pushed Russia to stop backing pro-Moscow insurgents in Ukraine, as the West thretened further sanctions against the Putin government.
In a call to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kerry “expressed strong concern about the refusal of Russian-supported separatists to take the necessary steps” to enable the extension of a shaky 10-day ceasefire.
Kerry “stressed the importance of taking steps to de-escalate,” and reiterated Washington´s support for Kiev, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
He “also made clear that we and our European and international partners will continue to press Russia to end all support to the rebels.
