Readout of the President’s Call with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany

The President spoke today by phone with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany regarding the European response to the refugee crisis.  The two leaders agreed on the need for a Europe-wide solution in which all European Member States accept their fair share of refugees.  They also discussed how to alleviate the root causes of the refugee flow, in particular by facilitating a political transition that can unite Syrians.  The President and Chancellor Merkel underscored the importance of resolving the crisis in eastern Ukraine and emphasized the need for Russia and the separatists it backs to uphold their commitments under the Minsk agreements.