US President-elect Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and discussed the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. Trump advised Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of Washington’s “significant military presence in Europe,” the Washington Post reported.
During the election campaign, Trump said that would find a solution to end the war “in one day”but he did not explain how he would go about it. Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday, according to media reports.
On Friday, the Kremlin said Putin was willing to discuss Ukraine with Trump, but that did not mean he was willing to change Moscow’s demands.
On June 14, Putin set out his conditions for ending the war: Ukraine should abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from the four regions claimed by Russia. Ukraine rejected the proposal, saying it would amount to capitulation, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a a “victory plan” that includes requests for additional military support from the West.
