BREAKING NEWS

Russia says Lavrov, Kerry agree on need for swift ceasefire in Ukraine

MOSCOW- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry, in a phone conversation on Sunday, agreed on the importance of ensuring a swift ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, a foreign ministry statement in Moscow said.

The statement described the crisis in Ukraine as an "internal conflict," though Washington and the West accuse Moscow of supporting rebels fighting Ukrainian troops in the east of the former Soviet republic.

Moscow denies involvement.