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,

The European Union renewed on Monday its wide-ranging sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, after Hungary stopped holding up the move in return for a declaration on energy security.

The European Union is expected to extend its sanctions against Russia, according to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. The decision is anticipated during a meeting with EU foreign policy ministers in Brussels,

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union renewed its wide-ranging sanctions on Russia on Monday for another six months after Hungary stopped holding up the move in return for assurances about energy security.