Russian President Vladimir Putin called the White House on Saturday to deliver a message of mutual respect and congratulations to President Obama on Independence Day.
Mr. Putin said the U.S. and Russia may have their differences but said U.S.-Russian relations remain important for solving global crises, Reuters reported Saturday.
“In his message of congratulations, the Russian President noted that, despite the differences between the two countries, Russian-American relations remain the most important factor of international stability and security,” the Kremlin said in a statement, Reuters reported.
Mr. Putin expressed confidence that Russia and the United States could find solutions to the most complicated international issues and work together to meet global threats and challenges if they based their relationship on the principles of equality and mutual respect, the Kremlin said.
The statement did not go into detail about any discussion of Western sanctions related to Russia’s role in the Ukraine since the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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