Blinken raised issue of Ukraine in his first phone call with Lavrov - State Department

"The Secretary raised Russian interference in the 2020 United States election, its military aggression in Ukraine and Georgia, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, and the SolarWinds incident, among other issues," the statement reads.

The foreign ministers discussed the extension of the New START nuclear treaty and the need for new arms control that addresses all of Russia's nuclear weapons and the growing threat from China.

The Secretary reiterated U.S. President Joe Biden's resolve to protect American citizens and act firmly in defense of U.S. interests "in response to actions by Russia that harm us or our allies."

In late January, Biden had his first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Among other important issues, Biden stressed that the United States strongly supports Ukraine's sovereignty.

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