Paris, Feb 20 (IANS): France on Saturday urged all its citizens who are currently in Ukraine for non-essential stays to leave the country.

French nationals in Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk are urged by the French Foreign Ministry to leave these regions without delay due to the security situation, Xinhua news agency reported.

"It is recommended to exercise heightened vigilance and not to go to the border areas in the north and east of the country," the ministry said, adding that French citizens are advised to postpone all travel to Ukraine.

The notice was published after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian spoke on the phone on Saturday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov about the current situation along the Ukraine borders.

Lavrov warned that ignoring the legitimate rights of Russia in the security area hurts stability not only on the European continent but also in the world.

Le Drian reiterated that dialogue was still possible but Russia should "choose" to engage in it.