WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel talked on Thursday about potential further sanctions for Russia over its actions in Ukraine, calling again on Moscow to move its troops back from the border region, the White House said.
The administration said pro-Russian separatists, "apparently with support from Moscow," were destabilizing Ukraine through "an orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage."
"The President underscored the need for the United States, European Union, and other global partners to be prepared to meet further Russian escalation with additional sanctions," the White House said in a statement about the phone call.