German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed in a phone call the NATO military presence in Afghanistan and agreed to closely coordinate future steps, a German government spokesman said on Wednesday.
“The chancellor and the president exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan and how to proceed with regard to the NATO troop presence,” government spokesman Steffen Seibert said.
Both leaders underlined the importance of close coordination and cooperation as well as continued political commitment for the country, Seibert added.
In their phone call, Merkel and Biden discussed the latest developments in eastern Ukraine and called on Russia to avoid any further escalation.
"The chancellor and the president agreed that Russia should reduce the latest troop reinforcements in order to de-escalate the situation," Reuters cited the government spokesman as saying.
