The White House on Monday said that U.S. President Barack Obama called the leaders of Germany, Russia, and France. In what are typically routine formality calls, Obama telephoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and French President Nicholas Sarkozy. While Monday's calls were to European leaders, the White House's foreign policy focus seems to be firmly planted on the Middle East. Obama is set to host his newly-designated Middle East envoy George Mitchell, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the White House on Monday ahead of Mitchell's tour to the Middle East.