)
US President Barack Obama has called his French counterpart Francois Hollande to discuss about the situation in Ukraine, the White House said.
"Obama spoke with Hollande today about the worsening situation in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists, seemingly with support and coordination from Moscow, have intensified their campaign to undermine and destabilize the Ukrainian government," the White House said in a statement yesterday.
The two leaders underscored that Russia will face significant additional costs if it continues this behavior.
Obama noted that the government of Ukraine has acted with great restraint and praised the Ukrainian government's efforts to unify the country by holding free and fair presidential elections on May 25 and pursuing an inclusive constitutional reform process, it said.
"The two leaders also discussed ongoing cooperation in our bilateral relationship," it added.
