Trump held phone conversation with Putin - WP
US President-elect Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. It was their first phone conversation after the Republican's election victory, reports the Washington Post.
According to the source, Trump advised Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of Washington's significant presence in Europe.
The newspaper goes on to say that the two heads of state discussed the goal of peace on the European continent.
The call, which was not previously reported, comes amid general uncertainty about how Trump will reset relations with US allies and foes after his victory on Tuesday.
According to two people familiar with the situation, the Ukrainian government was informed of the call to Putin and did not object to the conversation taking place. Ukrainian officials have long understood that Trump would engage with the Russian leader on a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine problem.
During his presidential campaign, Trump said he would end the war immediately, but did not provide details on how he would do so. People familiar with the matter said that Trump had privately signaled that he would support a deal under which Russia would keep some of the seized territories, and he briefly touched on the land issue during the conversation.
A few days ago, Donald Trump had a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to the Ukrainian leader, their conversation was excellent and they have reached an agreement. In particular, to maintain a close dialogue and develop cooperation between the two countries.
