US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Russia’s “actions” in eastern Ukraine serve as an “obstacle” in ties between the administration of US President Donald Trump and the Kremlin.
Tillerson, who recently visited Russia, made the comments during a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Sunday, according to acting spokesman Mark Toner.
“Secretary Tillerson phoned Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko today to discuss his recent trip to Moscow and his message to the Russian leadership that, although the United States is interested in improving relations with Russia, Russia’s actions in eastern Ukraine remain an obstacle,” Toner said.
He added that the former ExxonMobil CEO also accepted the Ukrainian president’s “condolences” in regard to the Sunday death of an American monitor with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, who hit a landmine in eastern Ukraine.
