MOSCOW, June 21 - A top Russian official on Wednesday called the U.S. statement that ties Russian involvement in eastern Ukraine to lifting U.S. sanctions on Moscow “inappropriate and incorrect,” Reuters reported.

"We have repeatedly said Russia is not present on the territory of Donbas," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, referring to the region in eastern Ukraine that is under pro-Russian separatist control.

"This is why we consider such statements inappropriate and incorrect."