Trump Troubled by Ukraine Fighting, Watching Russian Response
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Ukrainian medical servicemen stand on an Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) after they carried wounded servicemen to hospital in Ukraine-controlled town of Avdiivka, in Donetsk region on January 30, 2017. A sudden surge in clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels killed at least six people on January 30, 2017 despite a supposed truce in Ukraine's war-scarred east. The overall death toll for the past two days rose to 11 after the bloodiest outburst of violence since the former Soviet republic and its foes agreed an 'indefinite' ceasefire last month. The violence coincided with a visit by Ukrainian Petro Poroshenko to Berlin at which he urgend German Chancellor Angela Merket to step up economic sanctions on Russia for its interference in his ex-Soviet State. / AFP / Aleksey FILIPPOV (Photo credit should read ALEKSEY FILIPPOV/AFP/Getty Images)
Photographer: Aleksey Filippov/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Trump administration is “very troubled” by an escalation in fighting in eastern Ukraine and is watching how Russia responds in the months ahead to make a determination about U.S. sanctions, Vice President Mike Pence said.
Pence commented in an interview on ABC News’ “This Week” broadcast on Sunday, a day after President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart discussed concerns about the fighting and talked about bolstering the strategic partnership between their countries, according to a readout of the conversation.