WASHINGTON, May 4 (TASS) - United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss discussed in their telephone conversation an additional aid to be provided for Ukraine, the US Department of State said in a statement citing its spokesperson Ned Price as saying.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss," the statement reads. "The two discussed additional security and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and continued transatlantic unity."

The statement also added that "the Secretary raised the need to continue our collective support for combatting the COVID-19 pandemic globally and providing sustainable health security financing."

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Russia recognized the Donbass republics in accordance with the DPR and LPR constitutions within the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as of the beginning of 2014.

Russian President Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.