President Obama spoke with French President François Hollande Tuesday to discuss the latest developments into the investigation of the terror attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo.
Obama offered the French the continued assistance of the U.S. government, while Hollande thanked Obama for dispatching Secretary of State John Kerry to Paris last week, according to the White House.
{mosads}Kerry’s trip came after the administration was criticized for not sending a senior official to participate in a unity march in the aftermath of the attack. But the secretary of State was mocked by critics back at home for an awkward hug with Hollande, as well as the decision to invite singer James Taylor to sing his hit “You’ve Got a Friend” for French officials.
Obama and Hollande also discussed the need to maintain economic sanctions against Russia amid new violence in Ukraine. There were reports Tuesday from that country’s eastern regions that Russian troops had joined alongside separatist rebels, although Moscow denied direct involvement.
The leaders also “agreed upon the importance of providing additional financial support to the Ukrainian government,” according to the White House.
The French and American presidents also discussed efforts to battle Boko Haram in Nigeria and discussed ongoing negations with Iran over its nuclear weapons program. Kerry has in recent days intensified his efforts to broker a deal ahead of this summer’s self-imposed deadline.