(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday raised concerns over continued aggressions by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine during separate phone calls with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
In his call with Yatsenyuk, "Kerry expressed condolences for the loss of life when the Ukrainian transport plane was shot down by Russian-supported separatists overnight," a senior State Department official said in a statement.
Kerry reiterated concern over the flow of weapons across the Russian border and the US' commitment to defending the border.
Additionally, "he underscored the commitment of the United States and G7 partners to raise the costs for Russia if it does not end the flow of weapons across the border and break with separatists." Kerry conveyed to Lavrov the same concern over the violence and flow of arms to separatists in east Ukraine.
Kerry pressed Lavrov, "to make clear Russia's commitment to de-escalation" and work "with Ukraine for a ceasefire, amnesty, and political dialogue." He also asked for "a fair and equitable settlement of the gas dispute." The two sides "also discussed the escalating threat posed by ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) in Iraq and Syria, and the need to remove Syria's remaining chemical weapons material as soon as possible." A separate statement from State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki noted that the US also has condemned the attack on the Russian Embassy in Kiev. The US "calls on Ukrainian authorities to meet their Vienna convention obligations to provide adequate security."
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