The United States has said that Russia hasn't taken the necessary steps so far to de-escalate the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine, US Department of State Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on June 30.
“There are steps that we’ve long been calling for that are a part of what President Poroshenko has been calling for that Russia has not done,” she said at a daily briefing in Washington.
According to Psaki, earlier Moscow took some positive steps, “but there’s a great deal more that they need to do in order to de-escalate the situation.”
“There are still ongoing reports of fighters from Russia and Russia-backed separatists continuing to attack Ukrainian government positions. There are still troops on the border. There are still armed militants in Ukraine who are posing a threat to the Ukrainian people,” she said.
Besides, the US spokeswoman also warned about targeted sanctions against Russia.
“We remain prepared to impose additional sanctions, including sectoral sanctions, should circumstances warrant, in coordination with our allies and partners. But I don’t have anything to announce for all of you today,” she added.
