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Obama, Putin Briefly Speak About Syria, Ukraine


U.S. President Barack Obama (left) talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the APEC summit in Lima, Peru, on November 20.
U.S. President Barack Obama (left) talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the APEC summit in Lima, Peru, on November 20.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke briefly on November 20 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru about Syria and Ukraine, a White House official said.

The official said the conversation lasted about four minutes.

"The president urged President Putin to uphold Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements, underscoring the U.S. and our partners' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty," the official said.

The official added that Obama also called for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to keep working in initiative with other countries to lower violence in Syria and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP

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