President Donald Trump said he had a "very good" conversation with top Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and discussed progress towards achieving peace in Afghanistan, the first known call between an American president and the insurgent group.
The historic telephonic conversation, which the Taliban said lasted more than half an hour, took place a day after the Taliban ended the partial truce amidst renewed violence in the war-torn country,
Trump confirmed the call as he left the White House on Tuesday, telling reporters he "had a very good talk with the leader of the Taliban."
"The relationship is very good that I have with the mullah," Trump added in later comments at the National Institutes of Health. "They want to cease the violence, they'd like to cease violence also."