White House comments on possible talks between Trump and Putin
White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre (photo: Getty Images)
The White House cannot confirm the accuracy of information from an American journalist's book stating that former US President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin seven times after leaving office, states White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
"Of course, I have no confirmation of any of these calls. But if it is indeed true, are we concerned? Do we have serious concerns? Yes," she said.
Jean-Pierre added that this is particularly troubling given that Trump has lobbied against increasing aid to Ukraine. "So if true, it is concerning," she stated.
As reported by Deutsche Welle, in Bob Woodward's book War, which is affiliated with the Democratic Party, it is mentioned that Trump secretly spoke with Putin after his presidential term ended.
One such contact may have occurred in early 2024 when Trump instructed his assistant to leave his office at the Mar-a-Lago residence to have a phone conversation with Putin. The book does not disclose the content of the discussions between Trump and Putin. However, one of Trump's campaign staffers questioned the likelihood of such a contact. Conversely, another source close to Trump told Woodward that the former president might have had seven conversations with Putin since leaving the White House in 2021.
Recently, Trump stated that he knows both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy well. He mentioned plans to contact them if he wins the elections to negotiate peace.
For more details on Trump's plans regarding Ukraine, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
