Trump and Putin urge diplomacy in talks to Gulf leaders

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump spoke separately with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, and Emir Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar. According to a White House statement, Trump “addressed his concerns about the ongoing dispute between Qatar and some of its Gulf and Arab neighbors. He reiterated the importance of stopping terrorist financing and discrediting extremist ideology.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke to two Gulf leaders, the Emir of Qatar and the King of Bahrain, on Saturday. “Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of political and diplomatic efforts aimed at overcoming the disagreements and normalizing the current complicated situation,” the Kremlin statement said.