Tillerson, Lavrov discuss situation in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia remain in place - State Department

U.S. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said this on the results of negotiations on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington for more than an hour to discuss a range of issues including Ukraine, Syria, and bilateral concerns," the official statement said.

On Ukraine, Secretary Tillerson stressed the need for progress toward full implementation of the Minsk agreements. Sanctions on Russia will remain in place until Moscow changes the actions that triggered them.

In addition, the U.S. Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister discussed the importance of defeating ISIS, de-escalating the violence in Syria, and ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches hundreds of thousands of civilians throughout the country.

The United States and Russia agreed to continue discussions to resolve other issues of bilateral concern, including strategic stability.

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