Putin calls Obama to discuss US proposal on Ukraine

Riyadh: Russian President Vladimir Putin called US President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss a US diplomatic proposal for Ukraine, the White House said.
Russia’s reinforcement of troops near Ukraine has brought the total forces there to as many as 40,000, US officials estimated on Friday in a build-up that has increasingly worried Washington in recent days.
The White House noted specifically that it was Putin who called Obama, who is ending a four-country trip in Saudi Arabia and had just returned to his Riyadh hotel after talks with King Abdullah.
In a statement posted on its website, the Kremlin said that Putin had cited the Russian justification for its actions toward Ukraine, which has centered on concern for Russian speakers there since the overthrow in February of Ukraine’s pro-Russian President.
It said Putin “drew Barack Obama’s attention to continued rampage of extremists who are committing acts of intimidation towards peaceful residents, government authorities and law enforcement agencies in various regions and in Kiev with impunity.”
It was in light of this, it said, that the Russian leader had proposed actions by “the global community” to restore stability.
“Frank and direct” talks
A senior Obama administration official described the call as “frank and direct,” and said the next step was proposed talks between Kerry and Lavrov to see whether the Russians are serious about diplomacy.
The official also said Obama and Putin discussed the latest version of a “working document” that Kerry and Lavrov have been working on regarding ways to defuse the crisis.
“We have been in close touch with the Ukrainian government in this process,” the official added.
Obama and European leaders this week piled pressure on Russia to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis in a peaceful way. In a speech on Wednesday in Brussels, Obama built his case for sanctions against parts of the Russian economy such as the energy industry and said NATO would bolster its presence in the alliance’s member nations close to Russia.
The White House said Obama stressed to Putin that United States continues to support a diplomatic path in close consultation with the Ukrainian government.
“President Obama made clear that this remains possible only if Russia pulls back its troops and does not take any steps to further violate Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” the White House said.