Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko listens during a news conference in Tallinn, Estonia January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed strengthening cooperation on Saturday in a telephone call that also addressed the need to resolve Ukraine’s eastern conflict through diplomacy, Poroshenko said in a statement.

“The two sides discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States,” the statement said.

“Particular attention was paid to the settlement of the situation in the Donbass (in eastern Ukraine) and achieving peace via political and diplomatic means,” it said. </s> Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed strengthening cooperation on Saturday in a telephone call that also addressed the need to resolve Ukraine's eastern conflict through diplomacy, Poroshenko said in a statement.

"The two sides discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States," the statement said.

"Particular attention was paid to the settlement of the situation in the Donbass (in eastern Ukraine) and achieving peace via political and diplomatic means," it said. </s> President Donald Trump said he was willing to work with both Kiev and Moscow to resolve a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, following a telephone call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Saturday.

The call was the first direct contact between the two leaders since the inauguration of Trump, whose aim to improve relations with the Kremlin has alarmed Kiev while the nearly three-year-old conflict remains unresolved.

It followed fresh artillery attacks in Ukraine's Donbass region, which broke a lull in shelling at a frontline hot-spot that had raised hopes the conflict's worst escalation in months was waning.

"We will work with Ukraine, Russia, and all other parties involved to help them restore peace along the border," Trump said in a White House statement after talking to Poroshenko. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko the United States will work to restore peace along the border with Russia. </s> U.S President Donald Trump said he was willing to work with both Kiev and Moscow to resolve a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, following a telephone call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Saturday. The call was the first direct contact between the two leaders since the inauguration of Trump, whose aim to improve relations with the Kremlin has alarmed Kiev while the nearly three-year-old conflict remains unresolved.

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It followed fresh artillery attacks in Ukraine’s Donbass region, which broke a lull in shelling at a frontline hot-spot that had raised hopes the conflict’s worst escalation in months was waning. “We will work with Ukraine, Russia, and all other parties involved to help them restore peace along the border,” Trump said in a White House statement after talking to Poroshenko.

Trump’s open admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and campaign pledge to mend ties with Moscow have raised questions over his administration’s commitment to maintaining sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the fighting and annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Poroshenko’s office said the conversation with Trump paid particular attention to “settlement of the situation in the Donbass and achieving peace via political and diplomatic means.”

“The two sides discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States,” it said in a statement.

Earlier the Ukrainian military and Russia-backed separatists accused each other of launching a new wave of shelling. The past week has seen a flare-up in hostilities in which more than 40 people have been killed in both government- and rebel-held areas.

The escalation near the town of Avdiyivka has left thousands on both sides of the front line with little or no access to power or water amid freezing winter temperatures, prompting aid agencies to warn of a possible humanitarian crisis.

The U.S. and EU sanctions against Russia are linked to accusations from Kiev and NATO that the Kremlin has fuelled the conflict by supporting separatists with troops and weapons – a charge it denies.

Russia says Ukraine instigated the latest surge to firm up Western support, while Kiev accuses the Kremlin of stirring up the violence to test the new U.S. administration’s will to involve itself in the crisis.

Trump said his respect for Putin would not affect his foreign policy.

“I respect a lot of people but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get along with him. He’s a leader of his country. I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly on Saturday. </s> The US wants to work with Russia to end the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, President Donald Trump has said.

In a telephone call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on 4 February, Trump said he would work with "Ukraine, Russia and all other parties involved to help them restore peace along the border," according to a White House readout of the conversation.

Poroshenko's office told Reuters that the leaders discussed "settlement of the situation in the Donbass and achieving peace via political and diplomatic means".

"The two sides discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States," it said.

The phone conversation took place following intense fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed rebel forces in eastern Ukraine that reportedly left at least 35 people dead.

On 4 February, Oleg Anashchenko, a senior rebel commander, was killed in a car bomb attack in Luhansk.

The conflict in Ukraine began with Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014.

The US imposed sanctions on Moscow in response to its actions in eastern Ukraine, but the election victory of Trump – an open admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin – had raised concerns that Washington's Ukraine policy might shift.

In an interview with Fox News over the weekend, Trump insisted that his "respect" for Putin would not influence his foreign policy decisions.

"I do respect him, but I respect a lot of people," he said. "That doesn't mean I'm going to get along with him."

The president added that he would rather get along with the Russian leader than otherwise and that he would appreciate any help from Moscow in the fight against Islamic State (Isis) in Syria and Iraq.

"But, [Putin] is a killer," Fox News host Bill O'Reilly said.

"There are a lot of killers," Trump replied. "We've got a lot of killers. What do you think? Our country's so innocent?" </s> Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, second from right, speak with soldiers during a military training at a military base in Chernihiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Nov, 28, 2018. Russia and Ukraine traded blame after Russian border guards on Sunday opened fire on three Ukrainian navy vessels and eventually seized them and their crews. The incident put the two countries on war footing and raised international concern. (Mykola Lazarenko, Presidential Press Service via AP) (AP) </s> Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, second from right, speak with soldiers during a military training at a military base in Chernihiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Nov, 28, 2018. Russia and Ukraine traded blame after Russian border guards on Sunday opened fire on three Ukrainian navy vessels and eventually seized them and their crews. The incident put the two countries on war footing and raised international concern. (Mykola Lazarenko, Presidential Press Service via AP) (Mykola Lazarenko) </s> A tank from the Ukrainian Forces is stationed outside a building in the flashpoint eastern town of Avdiivka that sits just north of the pro-Russian rebels' de facto capital of Donetsk. Pic/AFP



Washington: US President Donald Trump has vowed to restore "peace" along the Russia=Ukraine border, the White House announced.

Trump had a "very good call" with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Saturday addressing "a variety of topics, including Ukraine's long-running conflict with Russia", the White House said in a statement.

"We will work with Ukraine, Russia, and all other parties involved to help them restore peace along the border," Trump said.

The White House also noted that the two leaders discussed "the potential for a meeting in the near future", The Hill magazine reported.

The call came as the situation in eastern Ukraine worsened last week, after Ukrainian forces clashed with Russian-backed separatist groups.

Also on Saturday, Trump spoke with the Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni about strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and has agreed to attend the G-7 summit in Italy in May, the White House said.

Trump reiterated his commitment to NATO to the Italian leader, with whom he is expected to meet at the summit, the statement added.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, in a telephone call, discuss strengthening the two countries' strategic partnership with particular attention to the conflict in the Donbass, a Ukrainian region that borders Russia.