President Obama spoke briefly with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru.
The two leaders spoke for “a few moments” before shaking hands and moving on to their respective seats at the event, according to a White House press pool report.
The reporter for the pool report said they could not hear anything the two said to each other.
A White House official said their four-minute conversation touched on topics including Ukraine and Syria.
“Beyond pleasantries, the President urged President Putin to uphold Russia’s commitments under the Minsk agreements, underscoring the U.S. and our partners’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty,” said a White House official. “On Syria, the President noted the need for Secretary [of State John] Kerry and [Russian] Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov to continue pursuing initiatives, together with the broader international community, to diminish the violence and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.”
Obama’s short face-to-face discussion with Putin may be his last as president, as he will be leaving office in January.
