On Monday, the Kremlin refuted a US media story claiming that US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke over the phone regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
Trump encouraged the Russian leader not to escalate the war in Ukraine, according to a Washington Post story published on Sunday.
In an interview with reporters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the allegation “simply false information” and denied that any phone calls had occurred.
The Post, citing several people familiar with the call who spoke on the basis of anonymity, reported that Trump had reminded Putin of the sizable US military presence in Europe.
They said Trump also expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss “the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon.”
Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, did not confirm the exchange, telling AFP in a written statement that “we do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders.”
Trump’s election is set to have a major bearing on the almost three-year Ukraine conflict, as he insists on a quick end to the fighting and casts doubt on Washington’s multi-billion dollar support for Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump on Wednesday, with the Republican’s billionaire backer Elon Musk also notably joining them on the call.
Trump also spoke by phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday and the pair “agreed to work together towards a return to peace in Europe,” according to Scholz’s spokesman.
