Lavrov discuss US military exercises near Lviv with Kerry

Today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry held a telephone conversation on the initiative of the American side.

"They discussed urgent issues of bilateral relations, including a schedule of possible future contacts. Lavrov pointed out that Russia was open to constructive cooperation with the United States on the basis of equality, respect for Russian interests and full renunciation of attempts to exert pressure on our country," TASS cited the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"Lavrov drew attention to the fact that the arrival of servicemen of the US 173rd airborne brigade at the Yavorovsky shooting ground near Lviv and information that the personnel of the US military company ‘Academy’ had appeared in the ranks of the Ukrainian troops in Donbass were indicating that the Kiev government had violated its commitments to withdraw all foreign units, military hardware and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The ministers also discussed other international issues, including the negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and the situations in Syria and Yemen.