Moscow, March 14 ( /Sputnik) Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has discussed Western support for Kiev, amid Russia’s special military operation, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss. “Call with @trussliz on next steps to apply more sanctions on Russia. Pressure must increase until Russia ceases its meaningless aggression and stops barbaric war crimes. Grateful to the UK for stepping up support for Ukraine,” Kuleba said on Twitter on Sunday. US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a Sunday statement that Blinken and Kuleba discussed, by phone, diplomatic efforts to stop hostilities in Ukraine. “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke by phone today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to offer continued support to the people and government of Ukraine,” Price said, adding that “Blinken and Foreign Minister Kuleba discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to stop [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war of choice.” The West scaled up military assistance to Kiev, as well as anti-Russia sanctions, after Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine in the early hours of February 24. The move came after the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against the Kiev forces. Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and “denazify” Ukraine and that only military infrastructure is being targeted – the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the goal is to protect the people of Donbas, “who have been subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.” /SPUTNIK GNK