BRUSSELS, February 13. /TASS/. The European Commission believes that Wednesday’s phone call between the leaders of Russia and the US, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, marks the beginning of a process to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, the commission’s Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho said at a press conference.

"It’s important to point out that this is the beginning of a process. Yesterday’s call between President Trump and President Putin marks the beginning of a process," she noted. "I don’t know exactly what the next steps in the process will be <...> and we will see in the next days and weeks how it will be taken from here," the EU Commission spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Pinho reiterated the EU’s position of "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." "We know that any just and lasting peace needs to include Ukraine at the table," she pointed out.

Asked if Brussels was wary of being left out of the negotiation process and whether the call with the Russian leader had been coordinated between the US and the EU, Pinho said: "the EU was not in contact with President Trump with regard to this particular call. <...> There was no coordination regarding this call."

President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Donald Trump of the United States held a telephone conversation on February 12, particularly discussing the prospects for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, Trump called for ending military activities as soon as possible and resolving the issue through peaceful means. Putin, in turn, highlighted the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict. He also agreed with the US leader that a long-term solution could be achieved through peace talks.