By Erbil Basay </p> <p> BERLIN (AA) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, her office said late Friday. </p> <p> The two leaders discussed recent international developments, particularly in Syria and Ukraine, German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said in a statement. </p> <p>Merkel and Putin focused on the work of the guarantor countries of the Astana peace process – Turkey, Russia and Iran — on forming the lists of members for a Syrian constitutional committee and the U.S. decision to withdraw its troops from the country, she said. </p> <p>Merkel also welcomed a ceasefire in the conflict area of eastern Ukraine that has been called to begin at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 29, she added. </p> <p> <p>President Donald Trump last week made a surprise announcement that the U.S. would withdraw its troops from Syria. His decision followed a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which the two leaders agreed on the need for more effective coordination over the civil war-torn country.</p> <p> <p>Russia and Ukraine have been at loggerheads since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea after a controversial referendum.</p> <p> <p>Turkey, as well as the UN General Assembly, viewed the annexation as illegal.</p> <p> <p>Ukraine has also blamed Russia for separatist violence in eastern Ukraine near the border with Russia.
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