President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday discussed meeting in person and strengthening relations between their countries to battle terrorism and address the growing North Korean military threat, according to multiple reports.
Trump and Putin spoke Tuesday afternoon, the first conversation between the two leaders since Russia denounced a U.S. military strike in Syria last month.
Citing the Krelim, the Interfax news agency reported that Trump and Putin plan to schedule a personal meeting in July, when both leaders are expected in Germany for the G20 summit.
The Kremlin said Putin and Trump also agreed to “step up dialogue between their foreign-policy chiefs to look for possible ways to strengthen (the) Syrian ceasefire,” Interfax reported. They also agreed to work together in addressing what the White House called "the very dangerous situation" in North Korea.
"The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," the White House said in a readout of the call.
Trump last month ordered a military strike on Syria in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack that targeted civilians. The White House has placed the blame for that attack on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran. The U.S. action was accompanied by a dramatic shift in the Trump administration's rhetoric toward Russia, one of the Syrian government's most important benefactors.
Putin characterized the strike as “aggression against a sovereign state, in violation of the norms of international law and under a far-fetched pretext.”
>> Related: What is Russia saying about the U.S. attack on Syria?
Tensions between Russia and the U.S. were strained before April, after investigators accused Russia of interfering in November’s presidential election to benefit Trump. Authorities have not found evidence that Trump or any of his campaign staff colluded with Russian operatives.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Putin last month in Moscow. Trump warned after the meeting that relations between the two countries might be at an "all-time low," Fox News reported.
>> Related: Who are key players in the Russia/Trump saga?
“Right now, we’re not getting along with Russia at all,” Trump said.
The conversation Tuesday between the two leaders is their third since Trump took office in January, CNN reported. Trump called Putin in early April after a terror attack left more than a dozen people dead in St. Petersburg. They also spoke in January, about a week after Trump's inauguration.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author
