President Joe Biden underscored U.S. support for Ukraine on Friday in his first call to that country's leader following reports of Russian troop movements on its eastern border.
Biden in his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy affirmed “unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression," according to a statement from the White House.
The United States and Ukraine say Russia is escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces since 2014.
Russia denies having a military presence there. The Pentagon this week accused Russia of violating a 2020 ceasefire, including in a March 26 clash that killed four