Russia's war on Ukraine, China, the Middle East and defence spending were the main topics of the first phone call between Kaja Kallas and Marco Rubio. View on euronews

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas have agreed on the need to exert maximum pressure on Russia to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, says an unnamed EU official who is familiar with the contents of the phone conversation between these two politicians, reports Bloomberg.

Both officials agreed on the importance of “continuing to exert maximum pressure on Russia to achieve a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine.” The conversation also touched on the need to strengthen cooperation between the EU and the United States,