Mr. Hollande also emphasized the importance of NATO and the United Nations, both of which Mr. Trump has disparaged. The call came just hours after Mr. Hollande, at a conference in Lisbon, said that European countries had to stand together against Mr. Trump, and assert their common values. Mr. Trump’s conversation with Mr. Putin was their first direct discussion since the inauguration a week ago and aimed at setting the groundwork for a possible meeting. American authorities are also examining possible links between Russian officials and associates of Mr. Trump, including his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. But he did not disavow it, and government officials said there had been discussion of what to do on sanctions since Mr. Trump’s team took over.

Source: New York Times January 29, 2017 01:38 UTC