Russian President Vladimir Putin called President Obama to discuss the situation in Ukraine, but Washington and Moscow have differing versions of the conversation.
The White House said President Obama told Russian President Putin during the phone call Friday that the U.S. strongly opposes Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine, and urged him to pull back Russian troops from the Ukraine border.
The White House said in a press release that Putin called Obama to discuss the U.S. proposal for a diplomatic solution in Ukraine, which Secretary of State John Kerry had already pitched to his counter-part Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
From Saudi Arabia, the release said Obama asked Putin to deliver a written response to the proposal, and the two agreed to have Kerry and Lavrov meet again.
Obama also claimed he urged Putin not to undertake further military provocations in Ukraine. Obama said Ukraine’s government is pursuing a strategy of de-escalation, even though Russia continues to position themselves to invade Ukraine after their incursion into Crimea.
However, the Kremlin gave a completely different account of the phone call, with the Kremlin claiming Putin led the conservation with Obama. The Kremlin said Putin told Obama that the international community needs to work together to stabilize the Ukraine situation.
Moscow also said Putin was able to redirect Obama’s attention to the “continued rampage of extremists” in Ukraine, stating they are intimidating citizens, law enforcement officials and the government.
Putin calls Obama as Ukraine’s government and the West become increasing concerned about what appears to be an imminent Russian invasion into eastern Ukraine.
