WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by phone with Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Thursday and the White House said both agreed on the need to impose more sanctions on Russia for continuing to arm pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.
According to a White House statement, the two leaders said Russia still had not taken steps to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine a week after a Malaysian passenger jet was shot down by what U.S. officials believe were pro-Russian separatists using Russian weapons. All 298 people on board were killed.