US President-elect Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to avoid escalating the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported on Sunday. The call, made from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last Thursday, came shortly after Trump’s surprise election win over Democrat Kamala Harris.
According to anonymous sources familiar with the call, Trump emphasized America’s strong military presence in Europe and expressed a desire for further discussions aimed at ending the conflict.
"We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders," Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, said in a written statement to AFP, neither confirming nor denying the exchange.
Trump’s discussions with European leaders have also continued. In a Sunday phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the two leaders reportedly agreed to work together toward a peaceful resolution in Europe, according to a statement from Scholz’s spokesperson.
Trump’s election has significant implications for the nearly three-year-long Ukraine war, as he has consistently advocated for a swift resolution and expressed reservations about Washington’s extensive aid packages to Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump last Wednesday, with billionaire Elon Musk also reportedly participating in the call. In response to Trump’s approach, the Biden administration, which leaves office in January, confirmed plans to maximize aid to Ukraine in the interim.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the White House aims “to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield,” adding that the remaining $6 billion in funding for Ukraine will be used to bolster its defenses.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has cautiously welcomed Trump’s potential shift in US policy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked on Sunday, “The signals are positive… At least he’s talking about peace, and not about confrontation.”
Throughout his campaign, Trump promised a swift resolution to the Ukraine conflict, criticizing US support for Kyiv and alleging it benefits defense companies and foreign policy interests rather than serving American taxpayers.
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., recently took to social media, posting a video of Zelensky with Trump and captioning it: “POV: You’re 38 days from losing your allowance,” in reference to the potential shift in US financial aid to Ukraine.
Observers have noted that Trump’s vision for a “quick deal” could entail Kyiv ceding parts of its territory currently under Russian control, such as Crimea. Bryan Lanza, a former adviser to Trump, told the BBC that Ukraine must abandon any plans to reclaim Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Despite dwindling manpower and potential uncertainty in US support, Kyiv has remained firm in its refusal to cede territory. Zelensky and many European allies argue that concessions would only embolden Putin and lead to further aggression.
The conversation reportedly touched briefly on territorial concessions, though Trump provided no specific details, The Washington Post reported. Both Russia and Ukraine have recently intensified military action, possibly in an effort to strengthen their negotiating positions.
Over the weekend, Russia launched its largest drone attack yet on Ukraine, while Moscow reported downing 34 Ukrainian drones targeting the Russian capital.
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