OREANDA-NEWS  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine and security in the Black Sea, the State Department said.

"The Secretary of State and the Secretary General discussed security in the Black Sea and ongoing efforts to facilitate a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine," the statement said.

In addition, the parties discussed issues related to the preparation of the meeting of the NATO foreign Ministers in December.