Ukraine leader discusses Russia tensions with US lawmakers

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The president of Ukraine has held a video call with 20 U.S. senators and members of Congress  amid tensions with Russia. Ukrainian According to his office, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with the senators and congressional representatives on Friday about Russia’s troop buildup near Ukraine’s border and the situation in his country’s war-torn east. A statement from Zelenskyy’s office described “the importance of getting the United States involved in the process of a peaceful settlement” to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces since 2014. Officials in Ukraine and the West have said Moscow’s recent troop deployment might indicate plans for an invasion, but the Kremlin has denied that intent.