President-elect Donald Trump recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, advising him against escalating the conflict in Ukraine, according to a source familiar with the conversation, Reuters reported on Sunday. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden plans to urge Trump to maintain support for Kyiv.
The source indicated that Trump and Putin spoke in recent days. Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday. Trump has been critical of the extent of U.S. military and financial aid to Ukraine, promising a quick end to the war, though he has not provided specifics on how he would achieve this.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry noted it had not been informed of the call between Trump and Putin in advance and, therefore, could not endorse or oppose it. “We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders,” said Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, in response to questions about the conversation, initially reported by The Washington Post.
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