Blinken, in call with Russia's Lavrov, urges Russian de-escalation

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and urged "immediate Russian de-escalation and the withdrawal of troops and equipment from Ukraine's borders", the State Department said.

Blinken also emphasized the United States' willingness to continue a "substantive exchange" with Russia on mutual security concerns, the State Department added.