WASHINGTON —  President Bush has placed separate calls to newly inaugurated Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and former President and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the calls on Monday "lasted a few minutes each."

Medvedev, Putin's hand-picked successor, took the oath as Russia's president on Wednesday at a Kremlin ceremony.

Perino said that Bush and Medvedev underscored a desire on both sides to maintain good relations and that they look forward to working together. She also said Bush then called Putin to wish him well in his new post.