Trump and Putin discussed Mueller report, Sarah Sanders says

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for more than an hour Friday morning, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters, and addressed the Mueller report “very, very briefly” in that conversation.

The conversation comes as Mr. Trump continues to point to special counsel Robert Mueller’s finding that Trump campaign workers did not take any actions that amounted to conspiracy with Russia, but did interact with Russian associates. Mueller’s report did not decide whether Mr. Trump was guilty of obstruction of justice, although Mueller did list 10 possible instances in which Mr. Trump may have obstructed justice. 

“The conversation on that part was very quick,” Sanders told reporters of the discussion between the two leaders on Mueller. 

Their conversation also comes as the White House accuses Russia of talking Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro out of leaving the country for Cuba. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed earlier this week that Maduro was on the tarmac about to flee when Russia persuaded him to stay. The U.S. has been pressuring Maduro to abdicate control to Juan Guaido, whom the U.S. and dozens of other countries recognize as the rightful leader. But so far, the U.S. has not moved ahead with any military intervention, saying only that it’s an option that’s still on the table. 

Sanders on Friday said Mr. Trump and Putin discussed the Mueller report briefly, in light of the completion of the investigation. The president was heavily criticized in 2017 for his press conference alongside Putin in which he appeared to suggest he agreed with Putin’s claim that Russia didn’t interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Mr. Trump eventually had to clarify that he did indeed agree with his intelligence community’s assessment that Russia intervened, but Trump critics insist he hasn’t been forceful enough on the topic. 

Sanders told reporters Friday that Mr. Trump and Putin also discussed nuclear agreements, the possibility of including China in a counter-nuclear agreement, the need for North Korea to denuclearize, and the importance of getting supplies through to the suffering people of Venezuela. 

— CBS News’ Sara Cook contributed to this report