(VOVworld) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama have discussed a US proposal for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine.

US and Russia discuss resolution to Ukraine’s crisis (Photo: AFP)

During the phone talks on Friday, Obama suggested Russia put “a concrete response in writing” to the proposal that US Secretary of State John Kerry presented his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov this week in The Hague. According to a US senior official, previous discussions between the two sides mentioned some issues such as deploying international observers, withdrawal of Russian troops and organization of Russia-Ukraine dialogue.

In another development, the Russian representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Andrei Kelin said on Friday that Moscow considers the presidential election in Ukraine on May 25^th illegal as it is not in line with the agreement signed between Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition on February 21^st. He added Ukrainian leaders need the support of the majority of the people to ensure the legitimacy of the election adding that Constitutional reform is a must. He also expressed his hope that OSCE supervisors will protect the Russian community in Ukraine from the new extremism and fascist. On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma, lower house of parliament, a proposal to terminate agreements with Ukraine over the Black Sea Fleet.