U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, discussed the settlement of the conflict in Donbas and the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty within internationally recognized borders.

Spokesman Ned Price said on Thursday that the meeting took place on the sidelines of the OSCE ministerial meeting. "Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Kuleba discussed the need for a diplomatic, peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Donbas and the full restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty over its internationally recognized borders, including Crimea, in the face of ongoing Russian aggression," the message reads.

Price said Blinken reaffirmed the United States' commitment to Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity and stressed that "the full implementation of the Minsk agreements as the best path forward."

The secretary of state and the foreign minister also discussed ways to deepen bilateral relations, the spokesman added.