Trump's Phone Conversations with Leaders of Russia, France, and Germany

On Saturday, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, Francois Hollande, the President of France, and Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany. According to the Associated Press, the Kremlin has announced that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed on expanding relations and close cooperation between the two countries during this phone conversation. This is the first contact between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin since Trump's victory in the presidential election on November 8, 2016. The Kremlin stated that both parties agreed on their readiness for active and joint actions to develop and stabilize cooperation between the United States and Russia. The Kremlin also mentioned that Putin and Trump emphasized their regular contact and the need to initiate necessary actions for a face-to-face meeting. Reuters reports that the Kremlin's statement did not mention any possible discussions between the U.S. and Russian leaders regarding the reduction of Washington's sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed cooperation in the fight against terrorism, peace in Israel and Palestine, bilateral economic relations, and the nuclear agreement with Iran during this phone call. Additionally, on Saturday, Donald Trump also spoke by phone with Francois Hollande, the President of France. The French President's office stated that Hollande emphasized that a supportive approach to the domestic economy could have political and economic consequences and that democratic principles must be respected. The French President added that in today's unstable and uncertain world, adopting an inward-looking approach would lead to a deadlock. Reports also indicate that Donald Trump and Angela Merkel emphasized the 'essential importance' of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during their phone conversation. The German news agency, citing Merkel's office, added that both sides stressed the necessity of cooperation between the two countries. Earlier on Thursday, Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the UK, stated in Washington that the U.S. President expressed his full support for NATO during talks with her.