The President spoke today with the President of the Government of Spain Mariano Rajoy about Ukraine. The President welcomed the strong, unified stance of the United States and the European Union regarding Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, including in the conclusions of the March 6 European Council. The leaders reiterated their grave concern over Russia’s clear violation of international law and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The leaders also welcomed the restraint shown by the Ukrainian government in responding to Russian violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and agreed upon the need for direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia to de-escalate the situation and restore Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The leaders rejected the proposed referendum in Crimea as a violation of Ukraine’s constitution and underscored that all decisions about the future of Ukraine must include the government in Kyiv. They agreed to continue close coordination, including through appropriate international organizations.