Biden says Russia’s actions in Ukraine not humanitarian

Vice President Joe Biden spoke Saturday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the status of a Russian aid convoy seeking to enter Ukraine, which Ukrainian and Western officials believe is a guise for an invasion.

Poroshenko said safe passage had not been secured from pro-Russian separatists for the delivery of the Russian aid. 

{mosads}He also said that Ukrainian humanitarian assistance had already been delivered to the International Committee for the Red Cross for citizens living in separatist-controlled territory.

According to a White House statement, Biden and Poroshenko agreed that “Russia’s sending military columns across the border into Ukraine and its continued provision of advanced weapons to the separatists was inconsistent” with any desire to improve the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine. 

A day earlier, Ukrainian officials said it had fired upon Russian military columns entering Ukraine, which Russia denied had happened. The White House said on Friday it was gathering facts as to what happened. 

The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France are scheduled to meet Sunday, to discuss the crisis between Ukraine and Russia, who Western official say has been arming and training pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine. 

“Both leaders reaffirmed their support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis and called on Russia to enter into good faith negotiations,” the White House statement said.