Putin, Trump discuss closer cooperation in fight against coronavirus

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday discussed efforts to combat COVID-19 and other global issues during a phone conversation, the White House said.

"President Trump and President Putin discussed the latest developments and efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The two leaders agreed to work closely together through the G20 to drive the international campaign to defeat the virus and reinvigorate the global economy," the White House said in a statement.

Trump and Putin also touched upon the issues of Venezuela and the global energy market. According to the statement, Trump and his Russian counterpart agreed on the importance of stability in global energy markets.

Saudi Arabia and Russia failed to reach a new deal on curbing oil production, which sent shock waves through the global energy market, as the oil price took a nosedive at a time when the global demand for oil was already hit by the raging coronavirus pandemic. The low oil price will also hurt the U.S. shale industry.