Kremlin Dismisses Report of Phone Call Between Putin and Trump

The Kremlin has denied reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. president-elect Donald Trump spoke on the phone last week regarding the Ukraine conflict. The report, published by The Washington Post on Sunday, claimed Trump had called Putin on Thursday, urging him not to escalate the war in Ukraine.

According to the Post, Trump allegedly advised Putin against further inflaming tensions, citing the United States’ substantial military presence in Europe. The report also stated that Trump expressed a desire to discuss a possible resolution to the Ukraine crisis.

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed these claims on Monday, calling the Post’s report “simply false information” and confirming that no such call took place.

In his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly asserted that he could end the war swiftly and has proposed direct talks with Putin. Nonetheless, he has yet to specify how he would achieve a peace deal or outline any terms he might offer.

Meanwhile, Putin has consistently set conditions for peace talks, demanding that Ukraine withdraw from significant portions of its eastern and southern territories. Reports indicate that Trump may have briefly discussed these territorial concerns with Putin during the alleged call.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to Trump’s election, cautioned against any concessions to Russia. He warned that yielding land or making other compromises could encourage further aggression from Moscow.