Russian forces remain in the territory of Donbas and Moscow has a direct responsibility to implement the Minsk agreements, United States Ambassador to Russia John Tefft said on Monday.

"Tefft: Russian forces & equipment remain in Donbass Russia has a direct responsibility to implement #MinskAgreements," U.S. Embassy spokesman Will Stevens quoted Tefft as saying on his Twitter.

Commenting on NATO activities on eastern borders, Tefft said that the Alliance "is preparing to protect its members in direct response to recent Russian aggression."

At the same time, the ambassador said that the American side "continually emphasizes publicly & privately the importance of dialogue on a wide range of topics with Russia."