Putin discusses Ukraine crisis with Italian PM Draghi

Moscow, Feb 2: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi held a phone conversation on Tuesday to discuss the Ukrainian crisis and the establishment of security guarantees between Russia and the West.

In response to Draghi's concern about the situation regarding Ukraine, Putin said that the Kiev authorities are evading the fulfillment of obligations under the 2015 Minsk agreements, Xinhua news agency reported.

When discussing the long-term and legally binding security guarantees in detail, Putin outlined Russia's key approaches to this matter and emphasized the importance of observing the fundamental principle of "the indivisibility of security" as is upheld by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. As for bilateral issues, Putin told Draghi that Russia will continue to ensure stable supplies of natural gas to Italy.