WASHINGTON  - The White House says President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke Tuesday about a stalled security agreement that would allow the U.S. to keep troops in Afghanistan after this year.

Obama and Karzai have rarely spoken in recent months, a reflection of the White House's frustration with the Afghan leader. Karzai is refusing to sign a bilateral security agreement with the U.S., saying he wants his successor to sign the pact after elections this spring.

The White House has repeatedly said that without a security agreement, the U.S. and international allies will have to withdraw all troops after the war formally concludes at the end of this year. The Pentagon has been pushing for the U.S. to keep up to 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014. (AP)