U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a one-hour telephone conversation on Saturday, which the White House said was “a significant start to improving the relationship between the United States and Russia that is in need of repair.”
Russia figured in conversations that Mr. Trump had with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande also. Mr. Trump also spoke to Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday. Mr. Abe will visit the U.S on February 10.
European partners are not on the same page with America’s new president on the strategy to fight Islamist extremism. Mr. Trump sees Russia as a potential ally in the war on terrorism but European leaders are circumspect. Ms. Merkel and Mr. Hollande also have opposed the ban on travel to the U.S from seven Muslim-majority countries.
“She is convinced that the necessary and determined fight against terrorism does not justify placing people of a certain origin or a certain religion under a generalised suspicion,” a spokesperson of the German leader said. “When [Mr Trump] adopts protectionist measures, which could destabilise economies . . . and when he refuses to accept refugees, while Europe has done its duty, we have to respond…The talk we hear coming from the US encourages populism and even extremism,” Mr Hollande said during a press conference in Paris. “We do not agree with this kind of approach,” British Prime Minister Theresa May, who was on Friday the first foreign leader to meet Mr. Trump in Washington, said in London.
Mr. Trump and his officials want the NATO to refocus its attention, away from Russia, and on Islamist threats. A new plan to fight IS which will be prepared in 30 days will include “identification of new coalition partners in the fight against ISIS and policies to empower coalition partners to fight ISIS and its affiliates,” a Presidential order said on Saturday.
According to the White House statement on the phone call between Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump, they discussed “topics from mutual cooperation in defeating ISIS to efforts in working together to achieve more peace throughout the world including Syria.” Both leaders “are hopeful that after today's call the two sides can move quickly to tackle terrorism and other important issues of mutual concern,” the statement said, while Kremlin said they also agreed to be in “regular touch.”
