MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. The Kremlin can't see any signs of intent from Kiev to drop "bellicose rhetoric" and take control of Ukrainian army units along the contact line in Donbass, Russian president’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

"So far, we can't see signs indicating that the Ukrainian side wants to somewhat calm down, drop bellicose rhetoric hidden behind the talk about some imaginary threat and take control of its army units that are deployed directly along the contact line [in Donbass] and that often become a source of provocations," he said.

According to the Kremlin spokesman, during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin "clearly worded" Moscow’s concerns over the situation in Ukraine. "Other capitals have also been informed about our concerns. Indeed, the situation leaves much to be desired," Peskov added.

The Kremlin is hopeful that nothing will incite the Ukrainian army to launch hostilities against its own people, Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"It’s vital to make sure that nothing incites the Ukrainian Armed Forces to launch hostilities against their own people, the people who live in the self-proclaimed republics," he pointed out.

Peskov declined to comment when asked what Moscow could do to protect Russian passport holders in Donbass if tensions continued to escalate, saying it was inappropriate to speculate about possible developments. At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman stressed that "ensuring the safety of Russian citizens is definitely a priority for the Russian state and Russian President Vladimir Putin."

Tensions in Donbass started rising in late February, when skirmishes, which particularly involved mortars and grenade launchers, were recorded every day. The parties blamed each other for escalating tensions.