The presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States talked for half an hour in Paris

On the sidelines of the UN Climate Conference in Paris, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a half-hour meeting with US President Barack Obama. They discussed the situation in Syria and Ukraine, recognizing the need for a political solution to both crises.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) and US President Barack Obama (left)
Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik / Kremlin, Reuters

According to the press service of the President of the Russian Federation , during the meeting “a detailed exchange of views took place on Syrian issues”: “The leaders of the two countries spoke in favor of moving towards the beginning of a political settlement. US President Barack Obama expressed regret over the incident with a Russian military aircraft that was shot down by the Turkish Air Force in Syria.”

White House officials noted that Mr. Obama told Mr. Putin that President Bashar al-Assad’s departure from his post is the key to ending the civil war in Syria. In addition, the US President recalled the need for a diplomatic resolution to the Ukrainian crisis, adding that sanctions against Russia could be partially lifted subject to the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

Vladimir Putin’s press service did not mention whether the presidents discussed the issue of easing sanctions, noting that the meeting also discussed the situation in Ukraine and “the need for further implementation of the Minsk agreements.”

As Mr. Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said, representatives of the American and Russian sides agreed to hold a separate meeting - the second in the last two weeks - this morning. Previously, the two presidents met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Antalya on November 15.

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