Russian President Vladimir Putin called U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday evening to discuss Iran nuclear negotiations, the situation in Ukraine and other issues, the White House said in a statement. It was their first direct conversation in four months.
U.S. President and his Russian counterpart also discussed the increasingly dangerous situation in Syria and the need to counter Islamic State militants, according to the White House.
"The leaders discussed the increasingly dangerous situation in Syria, and underscored the importance of continued P5+1 unity in ongoing negotiations to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," the White House said, according to Reuters.
The P5+1 group and Iran government officials are holding negotiations in Vienna ahead of the June 30 deadline to reach a final deal on Iran's nuclear program, reported DW.
Obama urged Russia to fulfil the Minsk agreements during the conversation. "President Obama reiterated the need for Russia to fulfil its commitments under the Minsk agreements, including the removal of all Russian troops and equipment from Ukrainian territory," the statement said.
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Putin and Obama agreed that U.S. secretary of state John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would hold a meeting to discuss terrorism-related issues in the near future.
"There was a detailed exchange of opinions on the situation in Syria... particular attention was paid to a range of issues pertaining to the fight against terrorism, especially the spread of the influence of Islamic State in the Middle East," Ryabkov said, according to Sputnik.
