Russian President Vladimir Putin called U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss a U.S. diplomatic proposal for Ukraine, the White House said, adding that Obama told him that Russia must pull back its troops and not move deeper into Ukraine.
The Kremlin also reported on the conversation, saying Putin had suggested "examining possible steps the global community can take to help stabilize the situation," and said the foreign ministers of the two countries will discuss this soon.
It is believed to have been the first direct conversation between Obama and Putin since the United States and its European allies began imposing sanctions on Putin's inner circle and threatened to penalize key sectors of Russia's economy.