U.S. President Barack Obama and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko agreed in a telephone call that "any Russian intervention in Ukraine" without Kiev's consent "would be unacceptable and a violation of international law," the White House said Monday. In the discussion about the ongoing crisis in eastern Ukraine, Poroshenko told the U.S. president there has been continued shelling of Ukrainian territory from Russia, the White House said in a statement. Obama reiterated his support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and he urged the Ukrainian leader to exercise restraint in military operations in order to avoid civilian casualties, the statement said. Poroshenko also updated Obama on his engagement with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the effort to deliver multilateral humanitarian aid to the distressed populations in eastern Ukraine, the White House said The U.S. president "noted the urgency of such humanitarian efforts," and both leaders "agreed that all parties should prioritize diplomatic efforts toward finding a political resolution to the crisis," the White House wrote.
