WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and discussed the war in Ukraine, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Trump advised Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of “Washington’s sizeable military presence in Europe”, the Post reported.
Trump’s transition team would not confirm the Washington Post report, saying in a statement, “We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders.”
“President Trump won a historic election decisively and leaders from around the world know America will return to prominence on the world stage,” Trump communications director Steven Cheung said. “That is why leaders have begun the process of developing stronger relationships with the 45th and 47th President because he represents global peace and stability.”
During the election campaign, Trump said he would find a solution to end the war “within a day,” but did not explain how he would do so.
Trump had also spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday, according to media reports.
On Friday, the Kremlin said Putin was ready to discuss Ukraine with Trump but that did not mean that he was willing to alter Moscow’s demands.
On June 14, Putin set out his terms for an end to the war: Ukraine would have to drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw all of its troops from all of the territory of four regions claimed by Russia.
Ukraine rejected that, saying it would be tantamount to capitulation, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has put forward a “victory plan” that includes requests for additional military support from the West.
This story is developing