Readout of the President's Call with President Hollande of France

President Obama spoke by telephone today with President Francois Hollande of France.  The two leaders discussed the current status of investigations into the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on January 7-8, and President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to provide whatever assistance the French government needs.  President Hollande expressed gratitude for Secretary Kerry’s visit to Paris and for the support France has received from the President and the United States.  They also discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine and the need to maintain sanctions against Russia in the absence of implementation of the Minsk agreements, and they agreed upon the importance of providing additional financial support to the Ukrainian government.  President Obama and President Hollande spoke about the situation in Nigeria, agreeing to work with other members of the international community to help Nigeria hold credible and peaceful elections and to support a regional strategy to counter Boko Haram.  The two leaders consulted on the status of on-going negotiations with Iran and discussed recent developments in Israeli-Palestinian relations.