(VOVworld) – Amid complicated developments in southeastern Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday asked his US counterpart John Kerry for more pressure from Washington on the Ukrainian caretaker government to halt its military operations in the east of the country. Earlier the same day, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, calling on the Ukrainian caretaker government and its supporters to stop the chaotic situation in the country and take responsibility for the conflicts in Odessa, south of Ukraine.

The European Union urged all related parties to refrain and open an independent investigation into the bloody tragedy in Odessa to bring the culprits to justice. Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon welcomed the release of observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe after they had been captured for a week. He urged the involved parties to show their responsibility, play supportive roles to end violence, and cooperate to seek for a sustainable and peaceful solution for Ukraine.