BERLIN – During a telephone conversation between Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump, both leaders expressed their concern about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks during a state of the nation address in Moscow detailing Russia’s recent weaponry developments, according to a partial release of their talk Friday by a German government spokesman.
The chat between Merkel and Trump came hours after Putin spoke of Russia’s allegedly-invincible new array of nuclear weapons, which he said were capable of evading US anti-ballistic missile defenses and any other foreign menace to Russia.
“The chancellor and the president are concerned about President Putin’s remarks about arms developments,” said a statement issued by German government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
Seibert also highlighted the negative impact Putin’s could have on international arms control efforts.
Both Western leaders were awaiting further details on the Russian president’s plans.
Seibert refrained from giving further details on the phone conversation due to the confidential nature of its contents.
In addition, both leaders agreed during their conversation that the Syrian regime and its Russian and Iranian allies should “promptly and fully implement” the United Nations Security Council’s Resolution 2401 demanding an immediate 30-day ceasefire in Syria.
Both leaders also called on Moscow to halt the assault on Eastern Ghouta, a rebel-controlled suburb near Damascus, where over 550 people have died in the past weeks due to the Syrian army’s incessant shelling and airstrikes.
They also demanded that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be held accountable for the use of chemical weapons, attacks on civilians and the humanitarian blockade.
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