US Secretary of State John Kerry has met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Paris. The two discussed the withdrawal of troops from the Ukrainian border and the sharing of intelligence on "Islamic State," reports GHN based on DW.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Paris on Tuesday to discuss a number of issues, including the crisis in Ukraine, which has heavily strained Moscow-Washington ties.
Kerry said that Russian troops were withdrawing from Ukraine - a necessary initiative to have Western sanctions lifted.
"There are four to five principal requirements with respect to lifting the sanctions: release of hostages, release of all prisoners, is one; the withdrawal of troops and equipment is another," Kerry said after meeting Lavrov in Paris.
"And at this point ... many of them are happening now, the troops are pulling back, the heavy equipment still has to be pulled back and the border is yet to be properly monitored and secured."
Before Tuesday's meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin - who will meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko - had called back over 17,000 soldiers which had been stationed at the Ukrainian border since the summer.
Lavrov tried to convince Kerry to remove sanctions against Russia, which have been having a massive impact on the country's economy and could have long-lasting repercussions.
"We do not know who is losing out more in economic terms: Russia or the European Union," he said before flying to Paris.