Ukraine leader discusses Russia tensions with US lawmakers

KYIV – The president of Ukraine held a video telephone with 20 U.S. senators and members of Congress connected Friday amid tensions with Russia, which precocious stoked fears of a imaginable penetration by massing troops adjacent Ukraine's border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with the senators and legislature representatives astir the Russian unit buildup and the concern successful his country's war-torn east, according to Zelenskyy's office. Russia-backed rebels person been warring Ukrainian forces successful eastbound Ukraine since 2014.

A connection from the president's bureau described “the value of getting the United States progressive successful the process of a peaceful settlement” to the struggle successful eastbound Ukraine, an country known arsenic Donbas.

“Now, much than ever, it is not words that matter, but decisive actions,” the connection quoted Zelenskyy arsenic saying. “My extremity is to halt the bloodshed successful the eastbound of Ukraine. It's intolerable to ideate information successful Europe without ending the warfare successful Donbas."

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Zelenskyy and the lawmakers besides talked astir applying further sanctions unit connected Russia, Washington's enactment of Kyiv's “Euro-Atlantic aspirations” and Ukraine's prospects for NATO membership.

Russia and Ukraine person been locked successful a bitter tug-of-war since Moscow annexed the Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula successful 2014 and threw its enactment down the separatist insurgency that has since near much than 14,000 radical dead.

A 2015 bid deal, brokered by France and Germany, ended large-scale hostilities successful Donbas, but efforts to scope a governmental colony of the struggle person failed truthful far.

Tensions betwixt Russia and Ukraine reignited implicit the unit deployment adjacent Ukraine's border. Officials successful Ukraine and the West feared it mightiness bespeak plans for an invasion, but the Kremlin has denied that intent.

Instead, Moscow has accused Kyiv of its ain unit buildup successful the east, saying Ukrainian subject could beryllium readying to reclaim the rebel-held areas by force.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin besides has pressed the United States for guarantees that would preclude NATO from expanding eastbound to Ukraine. The Western confederation and Ukraine person bristled astatine the demand.

During his telephone with the American lawmakers and senators, Zelenskyy said “not a azygous 3rd state tin person a accidental successful Ukraine's integration into NATO.”

“No agreements connected Ukraine without Ukraine,” helium said.

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