HELLO, VLAD? IT'S ME, DONALD
1st Trump-Putin chat amid immigration turmoil
President Trump shared friendly phone calls Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders from four other countries — but a host of other leaders flung far less diplomatic barbs his way over his refugee ban.
In their first official conversation, Trump and Putin discussed how their nations could fight international terrorism together and work toward peace in the Middle East, according to White House and Kremlin statements.
The leaders committed to work together to defeat the Islamic State, reach peace in Syria and improve US-Russian relations — which had been “in need of repair,” according to a White House statement on the hourlong call Trump took in the Oval Office.
Trump did not mention lifting economic sanctions that President Obama imposed on Russia after its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
And Trump and Putin did not bring up US intelligence reports that Russian spies hacked into Democratic Party e-mail accounts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.
Trump said “the American people have warm feelings towards Russia and its citizens,” according to the Kremlin’s paraphrased statement.
Trump spoke while sur- rounded by Vice President Mike Pence, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, national security adviser Mike Flynn and top political adviser Steve Bannon.
The scene was captured in a photo taken by White House spokesman Sean Spicer and posted to Twitter.
The president on Saturday also had phone calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Trump and Merkel discussed the importance of modernizing NATO.
Trump during the cam-
paign had questioned the value of the longstanding NATO military alliance and the United States’ commitment to it.
Hollande advised Trump that sanctions against Russia should not lifted without resolving the situation in eastern Ukraine, said France was committed to the United Nations, and stressed the importance of NATO in global affairs, according to a statement from the French president.
“In an unstable and uncertain world, turning inward would be a dead end,” Hollande told Trump.
Meanwhile, leaders elsewhere expressed alarm over Trump’s executive order on refugees.
Iran threatened to retaliate in kind. Its foreign minister said the country will ban Americans “until the offensive US limitations against Iranian nationals are lifted.’’
Turkey Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, said “closing the door on people’’ is no solution for regional issues.’’
Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said Trump’s move is “bad for Europe because it’s going to strengthen . . . the mistrust and hatred toward the west’’ by Muslims.
And Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the refugees are welcome in his country “regardless of [their] faith.’’