The article reports that Donald Trump, the newly elected US President, had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Trump urged Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine. This information was reported by The Washington Post on Sunday.
According to the report, Trump spoke with the Russian President by phone on Thursday from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, following his victory over Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris in the US presidential election.
AFP attempted to contact Trump’s representatives about this phone call but did not receive an immediate response.
The Washington Post, citing multiple anonymous sources, reported that Trump reminded Putin of the United States’ “significant military presence” in Europe. The sources indicated that Trump expressed interest in speaking with Putin again soon to find a resolution to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Trump’s return to power has sparked hope for potentially ending the three-year-long Ukraine war, as he advocates for a quick end to the conflict. Trump has also questioned the billions of dollars in economic and military aid that Washington has provided to Kyiv.
Previously on Wednesday, Trump had also spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with Elon Musk, a strong Republican supporter and businessman, joining their conversation.
Reuters sought comment from Trump’s campaign team regarding the Washington Post report. Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, stated, “We will not disclose anything about President Trump’s personal conversations with world leaders.”
The Russian embassy in Washington was also approached for comment but did not respond.
The article notes that Donald Trump was elected as the 47th US President in the November 5 election and will formally take power from current President Joe Biden on January 20 next year.
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