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MEXICO CITY, April 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday that reports of military activity along the Russian-Ukrainian border were worrisome and that he was trying to arrange a call with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
"This is dangerously destabilizing and it's very provocative. It does not de-escalate. In fact, these activities escalate. They make it more difficult to try to find a diplomatic, peaceful resolution to that issue," Hagel told reporters during a visit to Mexico City.
Hagel pointed to the agreement signed by Russia and Ukraine a week ago in Geneva to try to de-escalate the situation and told a news conference: "This goes the other way from what the Russians signed and the agreement they signed last Thursday."
(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Sandra Maler and David Storey)
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