President-elect Donald Trump recently held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they discussed various critical issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to a report published on Sunday. Since securing his victory in the presidential race, Trump has engaged in talks with over 70 world leaders. Early discussions included calls with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Washington Post, citing sources, reported that Trump and Putin focused on the objective of securing peace in Europe, with Trump expressing an interest in future discussions aimed at resolving the war in Ukraine. One source noted that Trump is likely motivated to avoid a new escalation in Ukraine as he prepares to assume office, seeking to prevent the conflict from worsening ahead of his inauguration.
Trump, who is set to be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025, spoke to Putin from his Florida resort. During the call, he urged the Russian leader not to escalate the war and reminded him of the significant US military presence in Europe, sources familiar with the matter revealed.
Ukraine has been briefed about the phone call between the two leaders. However, those who spoke to the press did so under the condition of anonymity, given the sensitive nature of the discussions.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US has provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance. However, this support has been consistently criticized by Donald Trump and other Republican lawmakers, who have opposed the scale of US involvement.
Trump has claimed that, had he been in office, Russian President Vladimir Putin would never have launched the invasion. Last year, Trump suggested that Ukraine might need to surrender some of its territory in order to secure a peace agreement—an idea that is firmly rejected by Ukrainian officials and has not been supported by President Joe Biden.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking on Thursday, said he was unaware of any specific details regarding Trump’s proposal for quickly ending the war. He expressed concern that a rapid resolution would likely require significant concessions from Ukraine.
Under President Biden, Congress has approved more than $174 billion in aid to Ukraine, according to the Government Accountability Office. However, with Republicans set to take control of the U.S. Senate, the pace of U.S. support is expected to slow under a potential Trump administration.
(With Agency Inputs)