Russia welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump's view that drawing Ukraine towards the NATO military alliance was an issue of concern to Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Ukraine previously offered access to its rare earth minerals in hopes of keeping the Trump administration engaged in its fight with Russia.

Trump said his administration wants to make a deal with Ukraine to access its key natural resources in exchange for continued U.S. support.

A Ukrainian separatist wanted by Kyiv was killed in a “carefully planned” explosion at a luxury apartment block in north-west Moscow on Monday.

More information is emerging about the explosion that occurred in Moscow on Monday. According to Ukrainian media, Ukrainian Armen Sarkisyan was killed. He was wanted for fighting on Russia's side and for organizing squads intended to disrupt pro-European demonstrations in Kyiv in 2014.

A pro-Russia paramilitary leader from eastern Ukraine was apparently assassinated in an explosion in Moscow on Monday morning. Armen Sargsyan, leader of the criminal-filled Arbat battalion, died from his wounds at a hospital after a bomb exploded in the lobby of an apartment complex about 7 miles from the Kremlin.