Moscow, Dec 12 (IANS/TASS): Russian President Vladimir Putin met the permanent members of the Russian Security Council Friday and expressed deep concern over the difficult humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

"The situation in southeast Ukraine was discussed in detail in the context of the recent settlement efforts," Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said in a statement.

“(At) the meeting, the participants expressed deep concern over the continuing humanitarian crisis in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, top security council officials, foreign intelligence service chief Mikhail Fradkov, and permanent member of the Russian Security Council Boris Gryzlov.

Fighting between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian militia has fuelled a humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine.

Following a new truce between the pro-Russian rebels and the government of Ukraine last Tuesday, an aid convoy comprising more than 130 trucks from Russia's emergencies ministry delivered humanitarian aid to the people of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine Friday.