The Washington Post claimed on Sunday that US President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to avoid escalating the situation in Ukraine.
According to the article, Trump made the call from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, just days after his surprise election victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, declined to corroborate the exchange, telling AFP in a written statement, “We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders.”
The Post, citing three persons familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that Trump reminded Putin of America’s considerable military presence in Europe and indicated willingness in additional discussions to reach “a resolution to the war in Ukraine soon.”
On Sunday, Trump spoke via phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and the two “agreed to work together towards a return to peace in Europe,” according to Scholz’s spokeswoman.
Trump’s election is expected to have a huge impact on Ukraine’s nearly three-year crisis, as he calls for an end to the fighting and doubts Washington’s multibillion-dollar assistance for Kiev.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump on Wednesday, and entrepreneur Elon Musk joined them.
The outgoing Democratic government of President Joe Biden has confirmed that it will send as much aid as feasible to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.
