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US President Joe Biden[/B] pledged that the US will respond "swiftly and decisively" to further Russian aggression against Ukraine, during a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a White House statement.
The two leaders "agreed on the importance of continued diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's borders," according to the statement.
The conversation between the two leaders came 24 hours after Biden and Putin spoke by phone, with all sides saying they remain "at the table" of diplomatic dialogue.
Despite constant denials of the Russian invasion claims by the West, Moscow maintains more than 130.000 Russian troops with tanks and air power on Ukraine's borders, of which about 30,000 are participating in joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises.
Kiev announced earlier today, Sunday, that Ukraine received 180 tons of ammunition from the U.S. for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said it also sent defense aid to Ukraine over the weekend, including "the Stinger anti-aircraft missile system."
Ukraine calls for OSCE meeting within 48 hours
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), citing Russia's failure to respond to Ukraine's request for "detailed explanations on military activities in the areas adjacent to the territory of Ukraine and in temporarily occupied Crimea".
"Russia failed to respond to our request on the basis of the Vienna document. Consequently, we are taking the next step. We request a meeting with Russia and all participating states within 48 hours to discuss reinforcement and redeployment along our border and temporarily occupied Crimea," Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
The Vienna Document - a series of agreements on confidence- and security-building measures among European states - signed under the auspices of the OSCE, states that "participating states will () consult and cooperate with each other on any unusual and unplanned activities of their military forces outside their usual peacetime locations that are militarily significant."
"If Russia is serious when it talks about the indivisibility of security in the OSCE area, it must fulfill its commitment to military transparency in order to de-escalate tensions and enhance security for all," Kuleba said.
Source: cnn.gr
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