A Number 10 spokesperson said:
The Prime Minister has spoken to Prime Minister Renzi of Italy ahead of this weekend’s European Council. They agreed that European leaders should agree on the appointments of a new European Council President and High Representative.
They also discussed the extremely worrying situation in Eastern Ukraine and agreed that the European Council must address this.
They reiterated the need for de-escalation and for Russia to stop fuelling the military conflict and instead to seek a political solution to the crisis.
They agreed that the European Council should also address the situation in Iraq and that the upcoming NATO Summit in Wales will be a vital forum for addressing both this and the conflict in Ukraine.