As part of the talks, the parties discussed the latest developments on the Russian-Ukrainian border and reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the path of dialogue with Russia.
Di Maio expressed hope for a positive response from Moscow to the readiness of the allies to make significant and concrete efforts to resolve the crisis, while stressing the importance of avoiding an escalation of tensions around Ukraine.
Earlier, the leaders of a number of NATO countries discussed the situation around Ukraine and agreed that in the event of an “invasion” of Ukraine against Russia, an unprecedented package of sanctions should be introduced.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, called nonsense the statements of representatives of Western countries about Russia's plans to attack Ukraine.