US President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday in a phone call about the ongoing war in Ukraine, advising him not to escalate the conflict, sources familiar with the conversation told The Washington Post. Trump also reminded Putin of the significant US military presence in Europe.
This phone call followed a conversation Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, as reported by various media outlets.
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While Trump had previously claimed during his presidential campaign that he could end the war ‘within a day,’ he did not offer any specific solutions during this call.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, refuted claims that they were aware of the phone call between Trump and Putin before it occurred. “Reports that the Ukrainian side was informed in advance of the alleged call are false. As a result, Ukraine could not have endorsed or opposed the call,” foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told Reuters.
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Meanwhile, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that US President Joe Biden aims to ensure a smooth transfer of power and remains committed to advocating for Ukraine in his upcoming meeting with Trump. “President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, as walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe,” he said.
The Kremlin confirmed Putin’s willingness to discuss Ukraine with Trump on Friday but stressed that it did not signify any change in Moscow’s demands. Putin’s terms for ending the war, outlined on June 14, include Ukraine abandoning its NATO aspirations and withdrawing its troops from the four regions claimed by Russia.
Ukraine, however, has rejected these demands, deeming them unacceptable. Zelenskyy has proposed a “victory plan” that involves increased military support from Western allies.
