介绍:
The Russian side says it's already making some headway in helping secure the release of 7 observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The group is being held by pro-Russia activists in the city of Slovyansk.
Meanwhile, officials from Russia and the EU have agreed to hold talks connected to Russian natural gas supplies to Ukraine early next month.
The Ukrainian authorities have yet to confirm their participation in the meeting.
Word of the meeting comes on the heels of the United States slapping new sanctions on seven Russian government officials and 17 companies linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki.
"We've consistently felt that there are a range of officials with close ties to President Putin who have supported these illegal acts in Ukraine that we can target here."
In addition, the US is also putting sanctions on the export of high-tech materials which can be used in the Russian defense industry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The ideas raised by our Western partners to impose sanctions on some Russia industries - above all on the military industry - is aimed, first of all, to preclude import replacements, and thus to continue our dependence on Ukrainian factories. It is an attempt with unfit means. We will find an adequate replacement. We will survive and move forward, and our partners will fail."
Meanwhile, a small group of US Army paratroopers have arrived in Estonia as part of move by NATO to bolster its support of eastern European countries.
Jeffrey Levine is the US Ambassador to Estonia
"It's an opportunity to have US forces on the ground, we'll have training with the Estonian forces, they'll be learning together and this is a great opportunity for them to work together."
In another development, a pair of Russian ships have returned to the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey to join their fleet in the Black Sea.
For CRI, I'm Qizhi.
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