According to the announcement on President Putin's official website, "Mr Putin and Mr Trump had a detailed discussion of pressing international issues, including the fight against terrorism, the situation in the Middle East, the Arab-Israeli conflict, strategic stability and non-proliferation, the situation with Iran’s nuclear program, and the Korean Peninsula issue."
"The discussion also touched upon the main aspects of the Ukrainian crisis. The sides agreed to build up partner cooperation in these and other areas," the statement added.
While the statement on the Ukrainian crisis went largely unnoticed, Dmitri Abzalov, president of the Moscow-based Center for Strategic Communications, think tank noted to Sputnik that certain details suggest that the US president has joined the Normandy Four format.
"Before making a phone call to the Russian president, Trump had been talking to Angela Merkel. Taking into account that after the conversation he was supposed to call Francois Hollande, the Ukrainian issue has been of certain importance. Donald Trump has basically begun talking to the Normandy Four," he said.
Abzalov, however, further suggested that the Ukrainian issue will nevertheless be part of the "greater deal." Ukraine, he said, is not that important for Trump's electorate. However the deal on the issue will bear great importance and the anti-Russian sanctions are pegged to the Ukrainian issue, he finally stated.
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