Nov. 22 (UPI) — U.S. President Donald Trump discussed Syria, North Korea and other security issues during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House said.
Trump and Putin spoke for more than an hour and discussed their support for the United Nations’ plans to achieve peace in Syria, as well as North Korea’s nuclear program, peace in the Ukraine and fighting terrorism.
The call came a day after Putin hosted a surprise visit from Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to discuss a shift from military strategy to political resolution for a country that’s been savaged by terrorism and civil war for years.
During the call they agreed to pursue plans to “peacefully resolve the Syrian civil war, end the humanitarian crisis, allow displaced Syrians to return home, and ensure the stability of a unified Syria free of malign intervention and terrorist safe havens,” the White House said.
Trump and Putin also discussed the “need to continue international pressure on North Korea to halt its nuclear weapon and missile programs.”
The pair last met at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit on Nov. 11 where Trump tried to persuade world leaders to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Putin also told Trump he felt there was no path to lasting peace in Ukraine outside of total compliance with the Minsk agreements.
“Speaking of a crisis situation in the southeast of Ukraine, the Russian president drew attention to the absence of a real alternative to unconditional compliance with the Minsk accords of February 12, 2015,” the Kremlin said, according to Russian news outlet TASS.
Trump and Putin also discussed their plans to work together to combat various terrorist organizations.
“The two presidents affirmed the importance of fighting terrorism together throughout the Middle East and Central Asia and agreed to explore ways to further cooperate in the fight against ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other terrorist organizations,” the White House said.
