Blinken, Le Drian discuss reports ‘concerning Russian military activity’ near Ukraine

Washington, Nov 15 (UNI/Sputnik) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has discussed the situation in southeastern Ukraine with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price informs.

“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke yesterday with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to discuss reports of concerning Russian military activity in and near Ukraine and their continued ironclad commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Price said in a Sunday statement.
Blinken and Le Drian also discussed Iran’s nuclear program, according to the State Department release.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that reports warning about Russia’s alleged preparations for invasion in Ukraine were “alarmist.”

French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian leaves after the weekly Cabinet meeting on March 21, 2018 at the Elysee palace in Paris. / AFP PHOTO / LUDOVIC MARIN (Photo credit should read LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier in the week, Le Drian and French Defense Minister Florence Parly called on their Russian colleagues, Sergey Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu, to agree to hold a Normandy Four ministerial meeting and to reinvest in negotiations within the Normandy format. In his turn, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he planned to hold talks with Putin in the coming days and discuss Ukraine, among other issues.