US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged Moscow to fully implement last month's ceasefire agreement on Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement Saturday.

The peace deal reached last month in the Belarussian capital Minsk between Kiev, Moscow and the pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine includes monitoring and verification by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on both sides of the border.

In a phone call, "Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov discussed the situation in Ukraine and Secretary Kerry emphasized the need for Russia to implement all 12 points in the September 5th Minsk Agreement," the statement said of Friday's conversation.

The two top diplomats "also discussed the ongoing P5+1 negotiations on Iran's nuclear program," the statement said.

The six powers leading the talks with Iran, known as the P5+1, have set the November deadline to reach a comprehensive deal.

The aim is to close all of Tehran's avenues towards developing an atomic bomb, by cutting back its nuclear enrichment program, shutting down suspect facilities and imposing tough international inspections.

"Secretary Kerry provided an update on his recent tri-lateral meeting with EU High Representative (Catherine) Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister (Javad) Zarif and they agreed to stay in close touch on the issue in the weeks ahead," the State Department added.

NATO calls on Russia to withdraw troops ahead of Ukraine poll
Brussels Oct 24, 2014 - NATO head Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia Friday to withdraw its troops from Ukraine as the country prepares for key national elections which pro-Moscow rebels plan to prevent in areas they control.

Stoltenberg, who took office last month with the crisis top of his agenda, said Russia's continued presence and support for the rebels violated international law, as well as Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Moscow denies that it has any military presence in Ukraine or that it supplies pro-Russian rebels there with weapons.

Kiev and the rebels agreed a ceasefire on September 5, which has been frequently breached.

The accord was subsequently widened to include a military pull-back but many of the provisions remain to be implemented as the death toll in the conflict tops 3,700.

Stoltenberg said Russia should use all its influence with the rebels to get them to respect the ceasefire and that it withdraw its forces from Ukraine and the border region as well.

Doing so would "contribute to deescalate the tension and create a more stable framework for a political solution," he said during a visit to SHAPE military headquarters near the west Belgian town of Mons.

Stoltenberg said it was "of great importance" that all sides respect the result of Sunday's elections, a key step for Ukraine to become a stable democracy.

NATO Supreme Commander General Philip Breedlove said Russia continued to have a significant force on the border with Ukraine.

Some units were preparing to pull back, Breedlove said, but this would still leave a very capable force in place on the border.

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said some 18,000 troops were being withdrawn from the border area in an apparent gesture ahead of talks with Ukraine and European Union leaders on the crisis.