Biden: Russia's military activities in Ukraine are not humanitarian


Vice President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko agreed in a phone call today that Russia's most recent actions at Ukraine's eastern border are not humanitarian in nature, Reuters reports.
"The two leaders agreed that Russia's sending military columns across the border into Ukraine and its continued provision of advanced weapons to the separatists was inconsistent with any desire to improve the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine," a White House statement read. "Both leaders reaffirmed their support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis and called on Russia to enter into good faith negotiations."
Pro-Russia rebels in Ukraine claimed this weekend that they are receiving nearly 150 armored vehicles, along with 1,200 fighters from Russia. Moscow has denied charges from the West that it is aiding the separatists. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials claim to have destroyed an armored column which crossed the border on Friday, but Russia denied such destruction, calling the report a "fantasy," and the White House has not confirmed whether or not such an operation took place.
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The United Nations estimates that 2,086 people have died in fighting between Ukraine and the pro-Russia militants so far, and another 5,000 have been wounded.
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Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
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