President Obama urged Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Wednesday to end Russia’s support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Obama spent a “significant portion” of the call with Putin on Ukraine, White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, representatives of Russia and Ukraine pledged to renew their efforts to enforce a cease-fire in Ukraine and exchange prisoners, according to an Associated Press report.
Martin Sajdik, an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe envoy, says the two sides are making another attempt to stop the fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels. Sajdik spoke after Wednesday’s meeting in the Belarusian capital Minsk of the Trilateral Contract Group, which has attempted to negotiate a settlement to the conflict.
Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels entered into a peace agreement last February aimed at reducing the fighting, but the violent clashes have continued and both sides have yet to reach a political settlement.
