Trump warned Putin not to escalate war in Ukraine days after the election, reports say

By: Shawn
The Washington Post claimed Sunday that US President-elect Donald Trump talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked him not to escalate the war in Ukraine.

According to the article, Trump spoke with Putin on Thursday from his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, only days after his surprise election victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin during a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018.
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

When AFP requested comment from the president-elect's team, they did not react immediately.

The Post reported, citing three people involved with the discussion who spoke on the condition of anonymity, that Trump warned Putin of America's significant military posture in Europe.

They added he also showed a willingness in continued discussions to discuss "the resolution of Ukraine's war soon."

Trump's win is viewed as having the potential to upend the almost three-year Ukraine crisis, as he pushes on a speedy end to the violence and questions Washington's multibillion-dollar assistance for Kiev.

Russian state media initially celebrated Trump's victory, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating, "The signals are positive..." At least he's talking about peace, not conflict."

Earlier this week, Putin commended Trump for being "courageous" following the July assassination attempt and stated that he was "ready" to negotiate.

During his campaign, Trump regularly promised to stop the Ukraine war as soon as possible — even before he is sworn in on January 20 — but he has never specified how he intends to do so.

Any swift agreement is anticipated to require Kyiv to give up some of the land it has lost to Russian invaders in Ukraine's south and east.

Despite a personnel shortfall and uncertainties over US assistance, Kyiv has always resisted such a pact. President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that handing over territory or accepting other extreme demands will simply encourage the Kremlin and fuel more aggression.

According to those familiar with Thursday's chat, Trump briefly discussed land.

In recent months, both parties in the conflict have taken measures regarded as potential attempts to build leverage ahead of future discussions, with Ukraine taking a portion of Russian territory and Moscow's military making inroads in Ukraine.

This weekend saw the largest drone assaults ever from both sides.

Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, and Russia claimed to have shot down 34 Ukrainian drones aimed at Moscow on Sunday.

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