A new report revealed that President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, warning him against further aggression in Ukraine.
According to The Washington Post, Trump referenced America’s military presence in Europe as a reason not to escalate the conflict, though the report did not name its sources, referring to them as “familiar with the call.” Axios summarized Trump’s message as, “Don’t escalate because I have weapons, too.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the report, calling it “completely untrue” and labeling it “pure fiction,” as reported by Newsweek.
Trump has previously stated his intention to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The Post noted that Trump and Putin discussed peace during their conversation, with Trump expressing a desire for talks on resolving the conflict. Ukraine was reportedly aware of the discussion.
The Post also mentioned that Trump is conducting his own diplomatic outreach, bypassing the State Department and U.S. government interpreters. One source quoted in the report said, “They are just calling [Trump] directly.”
Initially, Peskov had stated that Putin would not speak with the leader of an “unfriendly country” involved in a war against Russia. However, on Thursday, Putin praised Trump for his “manly” response to being shot, expressing readiness to engage in talks. Peskov said, “Trump talked during his campaign about how he sees everything through deals, that he can make a deal that will lead everyone to peace. At least he talks about peace, not about confrontation.”
Trump’s representative, Steven Cheung, declined to comment on the calls with world leaders, according to Axios. Cheung emphasized that Trump’s decisive victory in the election has led global leaders to strengthen their relationships with him, believing he represents “global peace and stability.”
