Readout of President Donald J. Trump's Call with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/11/21/readout-president-donald-j-trumps-call-president-vladimir-v-putin-russia

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release

November 21, 2017
..


Readout of President Donald J. Trump's Call with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia


President Donald J. Trump today spoke with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for more than one hour. The presidents affirmed their support for the Joint Statement of the United States and the Russian Federation, issued at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit on November 11. Both presidents also stressed the importance of implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254, and supporting the U.N.-led Geneva Process to peacefully resolve the Syrian civil war, end the humanitarian crisis, allow displaced Syrians to return home, and ensure the stability of a unified Syria free of malign intervention and terrorist safe havens.

The two presidents affirmed the importance of fighting terrorism together throughout the Middle East and Central Asia and agreed to explore ways to further cooperate in the fight against ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other terrorist organizations.

President Trump and President Putin also discussed how to implement a lasting peace in Ukraine, and the need to continue international pressure on North Korea to halt its nuclear weapon and missile programs.

President Trump then inquired intensely as to what the "V" in "Vladimir V. Putin" stood for, as he had always wanted to know. After President Putin responded that it stood for "Vladimirovich", President Trump responded by bursting out laughing and saying, "Wait, your middle name is the same as your first name except you add an 'ovich' at the end? That's the lamest thing I've ever heard!" President Trump then spent the next five minutes mocking President Putin with statements such as, "Wait....let me guess. Your favorite musical group is Duran Duranovich."

After allowing President Trump to go on for a period of time, President Putin finally cut his teasing short and threatened to release "that tape." Upon which time, President Trump responded, "What tape? What tape? I don't know what you're talking about." President Putin responded that he knew very well what tape he was talking about, and so does Ekatarina, Vasilisa and Sergei who was hiding in the closet with the Iphone at the time.

Upon which President Trump promptly shut up.

President Putin then pressed about the matter of lifting sanctions and once again mentioned the tape. President Trump responded by saying that while it would take some time, wink wink, he would continue to work to see all sanctions imposed against the Russian government and various Russian officials lifted, and furthermore that he would see to it that those sanctions would be redirected and imposed on Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Jim Comey, Robert Mueller, the entire staff at CNN, the UCLA basketball team, and some random war widow "just because."

The two leaders concluded their call by exchanging pleasantries and mocking Jared Kushner.

Upon the termination of the call, President Trump signaled over to Chief of Staff Kelly to "take care of" the White House staffer in charge of transcribing the President's telephone calls with foreign lea------SPORTS. THEY TALKED ABOUT SPORTS. Signed, JK.