Donald Trump’s conversation with Vladimir Putin following his election victory was centered on Ukraine. Trump urged the Russian president not to escalate the conflict further.
The day after Donald Trump’s election victory, he spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia. The Washington Post reports that sources familiar with the situation say that Trump advised Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine during the conversation.
It is unclear whether the Russian president took Trump’s advice seriously, because in the days following his election victory, Russia launched a series of large-scale attacks against Ukraine, including the biggest drone strike to date using 145 Iranian-made Shaheds, and other kamikaze-style drones.
“During the phone call, which Trump made from his Florida resort, he reminded the Russian president of Washington’s substantial military presence in Europe and advised him not to escalate war in Ukraine,” said a source familiar with the conversation.
The conversation also focused on peace on the European continent. Trump expressed an interest in further discussions to discuss the soon-to-be-resolved war in Ukraine.
The Washington Post recalls that during his presidential campaign Trump claimed he would end Ukraine’s war quickly, but he didn’t provide any details on how he planned to do so.
Trump also privately indicated that he would support a deal allowing Russia to retain the Ukrainian territories they have occupied. Sources said that during the conversation on Friday, Trump briefly brought up the issue of territorial claims.
The report notes that the conversation, which was not previously reported, took place amid uncertainty about how Trump will reset the “world-chessboard” diplomacy after his decisive win on Tuesday.
It is still unclear how Putin reacted to Trump’s proposal. Experts say that conceding territory to Russia and freezing the war would be viewed as a defeat by the West. Putin could also use the territories to advance further into Ukraine following a period where resources have been accumulated. The potential lifting of sanctions against Russia would also allow the country’s military production to be quickly restored and its influence in Western Europe to expand.
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