MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba diplomatic solutions aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine, the US Department of State said in a statement on Monday.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke by phone today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba to offer continued support to the people and government of Ukraine and to condemn the Russian Federation’s ongoing attacks on Ukrainian cities, which have caused increasing civilian deaths," the statement reads.

"Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Kuleba discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to stop [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war of choice. The Secretary reiterated the United States’ steadfast solidarity with Ukraine in defense against the Kremlin’s continued brutal aggression," the statement from the US Department of State added.

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees at a ceremony in the Kremlin recognizing the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR). Putin met with DPR leader Denis Pushilin and LPR leader Leonid Pasechnik, and signed treaties with them on friendship, cooperation and mutual aid between Russia and both republics.

President Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request from the heads of the Donbass republics, he had decided to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory.

The Russian Defense Ministry reassured earlier that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, and are limited to surgical strikes and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure, insisting that there is no threat whatsoever to the civilian population.