Lavrov and Rubio had a phone conversation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

The Ukrainian crisis was discussed during the conversation.

Lavrov and Rubio stressed the importance of reaching an agreement on the preconditions for negotiations for a long-term peace in Ukraine.

"A fruitful exchange of views continued on the main aspects of the Russian-American political dialogue, which has recently become significantly more active," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.