U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Wednesday that the international community should give a "strong and united" response to North Korea's fourth nuclear test, the White House said.

North Korea was one of the key topics discussed during a phone call between the two leaders, along with the situation in Ukraine and the civil war in Syria.

"They discussed the importance of a strong and united international response to North Korea's nuclear test in defiance of Security Council resolutions," the White House said in a statement without providing any further specifics.

Cooperation from Russia is key to the U.N. Security Council's push to adopt a new sanctions resolution aimed at punishing Pyongyang because Moscow is one of the veto-holding permanent members of the Security Council, along with Britain, China, France and the U.S.

Russia is a member of the six-party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear program.

The Security Council held an emergency meeting a day after the North's nuclear test. After the meeting, the council said it "strongly condemns" the test and will immediately start work on a new sanctions resolution against the communist nation. 

So far, the council has adopted six resolutions, six presidential statements and two press statements with regard to the North's nuclear and missile programs. Of the six resolutions, four included sanctions on the isolated nation. 

The proposed new sanctions resolution is expected to be much tougher than the previous ones. (Yonhap)