Trump, Putin signal Syria cooperation
White House says leaders discussed safe-zone setups.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Russ i a n P r e s i d e n t Vl a d i mi r Put i n s i g nal e d t he pro s - pect of increased cooperation in Syria following what the White House called a “very good” phone discussion Tuesday that included a focus on setting up safe zones in the war-torn nation.
The White House s a i d Trump and Putin also agreed to try to set up their first in-person meeting in July, on the sidelines of an international summit in Germany.
The call marked the first t i m e T r u m p a n d P u t i n had spoken since the U.S. launched missiles against an air base in Syria, an attack that outraged Russia, one of the Syrian government’s strongest backers. But the leaders appeared to again be edging toward closer cooperation, with the Kremlin saying Trump and Putin agreed to bolster diplomatic efforts to resolve the Syrian civil war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced, and the White House announced it would send a top State Department official to Russian-led talks on Syria that begin today in Kazakhstan.
“President Trump and P r e s i d e n t P u t i n a g r e e d that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence,” the White House said. “The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons.”
The Kremlin characterized the call as “business-like” and “constructive.” It made no mention of safe zones.
Despite having previously warned against U.S. intervention in Syria, Trump ordered the strikes against Syrian government targets in early April after accusing the regime of using chemical weapons in a deadly attack on civilians. Russia said the U.S. strikes violated international law.
Yet Trump has continued to hold out the prospect of a stronger relationship with Russia, which was a cornerstone of his foreign policy platform as a presidential candidate.