International security

Obama tells Putin to stop hitting opposition forces in Syria

President Barack Obama urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his air campaign against Syrian opposition forces during a phone call Saturday, the White House said, a day after Putin's deputy described relations between Moscow and Washington sinking to Cold War depths.

In a description of the phone call, the White House said Obama stressed "the importance of rapidly implementing humanitarian access to besieged areas of Syria and initiating a nationwide cessation of hostilities."