Washington – President Barack Obama has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin to reiterate concern about Russia’s support of separatists in Ukraine and about Russian compliance with a 1987 nuclear missile treaty that the U.S. says Moscow breached.
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The White House says Obama spoke to Putin Friday. The call came at the end of a week in which the U.S. and the European Union increased sanctions against Russia.
Also Friday, Vice President Joe Biden announced $8 million in new assistance to Ukraine to improve its border security. The money will pay for transportation, small boats and better surveillance equipment. But it does not include armaments, as demanded by some congressional Republicans.
The White House said Biden called Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (por-uh-SHEN’-koh) on Friday to announce the assistance.