Washington, Jan. 26, 2021, SPA -- President Joe Biden had his first call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Tuesday, AP reported. The new president looked to preserve room for diplomacy, telling the Russian leader that the two nations should finalize a five-year extension of an arms control treaty before it expires early next month, according to officials familiar with the call. Biden has not held out hope for a reset in relations with Russia but has instead indicated he wants to manage differences with Russia without necessarily resolving them or improving ties. Moscow reached out last week to request the call, according to the officials. Biden agreed but wanted first to prepare with his staff and speak with European allies, including the leaders of the Britain, France and Germany. And on Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States commitment to the decades-old alliance, founded as a bulwark, during the cold war era. --SPA 22:09 LOCAL TIME 19:09 GMT 0031 www.spa.gov.sa/w1491209