Italy's Draghi and Russia's Putin discuss Ukraine -statement

FILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi holds a news conference after the government met to discuss stricter coronavirus disease (COVID-19) health pass rules, in Rome, Italy, November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have had a phone call to discuss the crisis over Ukraine and bilateral relations, Draghi's office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The two leaders agreed on the need to find a "sustainable and durable" solution to the Ukrainian crisis and to rebuild a "climate of mutual confidence", the statement said.

Draghi highlighted the importance of reducing tensions in Ukraine "in the light of the serious consequences that a further escalation of the crisis would have".

(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Crispian Balmer)