Trump 'Reaffirms Transatlantic Unity in Holding Russia Accountable' Over Ukraine

US President Donald Trump reiterated in a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni the US determination to maintain transatlantic accord in "holding Russia responsible for its actions" in Ukraine and Crimea, the White House said in a press release on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US-Russian relations have worsened since 2014 against the background of the Ukrainian crisis and Crimea's reunification with Russia. The United States and its allies in Europe imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia, blaming Moscow for interfering in Ukraine's internal crisis. In addition, Washington accused Kremlin of meddling in the 2016 US election.

Russia has repeatedly denied the US allegations, calling them absurd, and warned that Western sanctions are counterproductive measures that undermine global stability.

"President Trump reaffirmed transatlantic unity in holding Russia accountable for its actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, and noted the importance of convincing Russia to fulfill its commitments under the Minsk Agreements," the release stated.

Trump met the two leaders during a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, his first foreign visit since taking office.

On February 14, the White House spokesman said that US President Donald Trump expects Russia to "return Crimea" to Ukraine. Later, Trump reaffirmed this stance, suggesDuring the election campaign Trump claimed he would "consider" recognizing Crimea as part of Russia following the referendum in the peninsula, adding that the Crimeans wanted to live in Russia.

Commenting on the White House statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia does not intend to return Crimea to Kiev as it is Russian territory. The Kremlin said that Russia does not discuss issues related to its territory with foreign partners.

Crimea rejoined Russia after a 2014 referendum, when almost 97 percent of the region's population voted for the reunification. Sevastopol, which has a federal city status, supported the move by 95.6 percent of votes.