Trump, Putin in first formal phone call agree to cooperate in fight against terrorism

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged cooperation in fighting the Islamic State, the two sides said, as the pair seek to reverse tension after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its support for Syria,and allegations that Russian hackers sought to sway the US election.

“The positive call was a significant start to improving the relationship between the United States and Russia that is in need of repair,” the White House said in a statement.

Putin told Trump he “sees the US as a most important partner in the fight against international terrorism,” according to a readout of the call from the Kremlin that described the conversation as “positive and businesslike”

The conversation, one of several Trump held with world leaders on Saturday, was the among the first formal steps in his effort to reset relations with the Kremlin, which soured under the Obama administration after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in his fight against rebel groups. Trump’s critics have questioned the wisdom of his calls for better ties with Putin, especially in light of the US intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia hacked e-mails of the Democratic National Committee in a bid to swing the November election in Trump’s favour.

Trump has said he would consider easing financial penalties imposed by the US over the annexation of Crimea in 2014 in exchange for Russia’s support on a nuclear weapons deal or fighting terror groups like the Islamic State. Critics have argued that Russia’s support of Assad has nothing to do with Islamic State fighters based there, pointing to the fact that its air war has focused on rebels around Aleppo not affiliated with the group.