WASHINGTON, April 19. /TASS/. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General Mark Milley, held another telephone conversation with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny on Monday, Joint Staff Spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said in a statement.

"The military leaders continued to exchange perspectives and assessments of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Chairman once again reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine is a key partner to NATO and is strongly committed to national sovereignty and democratic principles," the statement says.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine, stressing that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories. Western countries responded to the actions of the Russian authorities by slapping sanctions on physical and legal entities.