US President George W. Bush spoke by telephone Tuesday with the leaders of Russia, France and Germany, a White House spokesman said, without elaborating on the purpose of the phone calls.
Frederick Jones, spokesman for the National Security Council, said the US leader spoke during separate phone calls to Russia President Vladmir Putin, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The discussions took place with Washington and its European allies confronted with various thorny issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, subduing Iraq’s insurgency and forging a way forward in relations with the Hamas-led Palestinian government, among others.
Britain, France and Germany have been working to put together a package of trade and other incentives aimed at coaxing Iran into agreeing to halt uranium enrichment — work that can be extended to making nuclear weapons.
Six nations — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States — are pressing Tehran to suspend its nuclear activities, although they do not all agree on the best way to achieve that goal.
If Iran fails to suspend the sensitive work, the United States and Europe want Russian and Chinese backing for a UN Security Council resolution that could lead to sanctions against Tehran.
