A new report claims that President-elect Donald Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin last Thursday not to escalate the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that the United States has a significant military presence in Europe.
The Washington Post reported that multiple sources confirmed Trump spoke with Putin on Thursday following his election victory. A person with knowledge of the president-elect’s call told The Washington Post that Trump warned Putin not to escalate Russia’s war against Ukraine and pointed to the U.S. military presence in Europe as a deterrent against further aggression.
One source familiar with the phone call said the two world leaders talked about a mutual goal for peace in Europe. The source also told The Washington Post that Trump indicated he was interested in having additional discussions to talk about “the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon.”
The Washington Post reported that Trump indicated throughout his 2024 presidential campaign that he was planning to bring a quick end to the war between Russia and Ukraine if he was elected president.
Two sources familiar with the president-elect’s call with Putin told The Washington Post that Ukrainian officials did not express objections to the phone call and are aware that Trump is planning to hold conversations with the Russian president regarding a diplomatic solution to the Russian-Ukraine war.
In addition to Trump’s phone call with Putin, the President-elect told NBC News that he had talked with roughly 70 world leaders in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 election, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to The Washington Post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who supported Trump’s campaign, also joined the call between Zelensky and Trump.
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Asked about Trump’s phone call with Putin, Steven Cheung, Trump’s director of communications, told Fox News, “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. 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.”
According to The Washington Post, Putin also congratulated Trump on his win over Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “His behavior at the moment of an attempt on his life left an impression on me. He turned out to be a brave man.” Putin added that Trump’s statements during the 2024 campaign regarding a “desire to restore relations with Russia” and to “help end the Ukrainian crisis” before the war escalates “deserves attention at least.”
