Trump, Merkel, Macron urge Russia to stop bombing E. Ghouta

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The White House said on Friday that US President Donald Trump spoke on Thursday in separate calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on the issues of Syria and Russia.

The White House said in a statement that the three leaders agreed with the urgency for relevant parties to fully implement an immediate ceasefire across Syria as requested by the UN Security Council resolutions.

They also called on Russia to stop bombing eastern Ghouta, a major rebel-held enclave close to Syrian capital Damascus, and prevent the deteriorating human rights conditions in the region.

Smoke rises from the rebel-held besieged town of Hamouriyeh, eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, Syria, Feb. 21, 2018. /Reuters Photo

In the calls, the leaders "shared their serious concerns over Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent statements on the nuclear weapons development, which they agreed detract from productive discussion of a range of issues between Russia and the West," said the statement.

Putin delivered his annual address to parliament Thursday and said that Russia has begun testing Sarmat, a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile, which has "practically no range limits" as it is capable of attacking across both the South and North Poles.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency