Crisis Averted
The US Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown with the passage of a bipartisan funding bill, but the process laid bare the persistent challenges of governance in an era of heightened partisanship and external influences.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday had a telephonic conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump, discussing issues of strategic stability and arms control, according to the Kremlin.
“Issues related to strategic stability and arms control were thoroughly discussed, with consideration of the special responsibility of Russia and the United States for maintaining international peace and security”, Kremlin said in a statement.
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The importance of holding a Russia-initiated summit of United Nations Security Council permanent members in the near future was noted, according to the statement.
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Putin and Trump also touched upon the situation around the Iranian nuclear program, bilateral economic relations, and the fight against coronavirus.
Earlier in June, both the leaders discussed issues related to the Group of Seven (G7) Summit and oil markets.
Putin and Trump also addressed world oil market developments in the context of implementing the OPEC+ agreement.
Earlier in April, Trump and Putin had discussed efforts to combat COVID-19 and ensure global energy market stability during a phone conversation.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies led by Russia, a group known as OPEC+, reached earlier a tentative agreement to cut production to stop a market free-fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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