Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the crisis over Ukraine and bilateral relations over the phone, Draghi's office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The two leaders agreed on the need to find a "sustainable and durable" solution to the Ukrainian crisis and to rebuild a "climate of mutual confidence.”

Draghi highlighted the importance of reducing tensions in Ukraine "in the light of the serious consequences that a further escalation of the crisis would have.”