Lavrov, Rubio Hold Talks on Settling Ukraine War

Russia said on Saturday foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had spoken with US Secretary of Marco Rubio by phone, agreeing to show will for "cooperation" on Ukraine and to work to restore dialogue.

- Agencies

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON:

The call came ahead of an expected summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin amid mounting concern from Ukraine and its European allies that the pair will strike a deal without them.

The call came days after the US president's call to Putin ended almost three years of no contact between Moscow and Washington during the Ukraine conflict.

"On February 15 on the initiative of the American side a phone call was held between the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation S. Lavrov and Secretary of State of the USA M. Rubio," said a Russian foreign ministry statement.