MOSCOW, August 23 (RIA Novosti) – US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have called Russian humanitarian convoy's crossing the Ukrainian border a provocation during a telephone conversation, the Associated Press reported on Saturday, citing the White House.
According to the report, Obama and Merkel stated that "a Russian convoy that entered Ukraine without approval is yet another provocation by Moscow that violates Ukraine’s sovereignty." In their opinion, Russia should withdraw the convoy from Ukraine and accept the terms previously agreed with Kiev and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
In addition, Merkel and Obama called on Russia to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian border, as well as to stop the flow of personnel and military equipment into the eastern Ukraine.
On August 14, the trucks with Russian humanitarian aid arrived at the border, but Ukraine began customs clearance only on August 21.
On Friday, the convoy crossed the border and arrived in Luhansk. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called it a "violation of international regulations" and urged international partners to condemn Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Kiev may be dragging on the process of delivering Russian humanitarian aid to crisis-hit eastern Ukraine until there was no one left to be helped.
The West has repeatedly accused Russia of supplying weapons to the militia. Moscow denied these allegations and said there are no Russian military and special forces in the east of Ukraine. Moscow also rejects accusations of interfering in the internal affairs of Ukraine, and stated that Russia is not a party to the Ukrainian domestic conflict.
