Putin, Obama to discuss Ukraine, Iraq soon: Kremlin

MADRID - Agence France-Presse

n this Sept. 5, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during arrivals for the G-20 summit at the Konstantin Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013. AP Photo

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Barack Obama will discuss the situation in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria "in the coming days," a top aide said on Friday.
      
Speaking to reporters, Putin's top foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov, did not provide further details about the upcoming phone call.
      
Separately, Putin will on Friday evening discuss the situation in Iraq with the conflict-torn country's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Ushakov said, noting that the situation there "causes serious concern."        Relations between Russia and the US have sunk to their lowest since the Cold War over the crisis in ex-Soviet Ukraine with Washington accusing the Kremlin of backing a separatist rebellion.
      
The two have also been at loggerheads over the war in Syria where Moscow has helped prop up the regime of strongman Bashar al-Assad.
      
Russia has blamed the latest violence sweeping Iraq on the 2003 US-led invasion of the country and said that any strikes on jihadist forces would have to be authorised by the UN.