On Monday, the Kremlin denied reports that US President-elect Donald Trump recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Washington Post and Reuters had both reported a phone call took place, citing unidentified sources, with Trump allegedly urging Putin to avoid escalating the Ukraine war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted the reports, calling them “completely untrue” and “pure fiction,” stating there had been “no conversation”.
Peskov criticised the quality of information from media outlets, saying that even reputable publications sometimes publish unverified reports. When asked if any future contact between Putin and Trump was planned, Peskov said there were “no concrete plans yet”.
The war in Ukraine, now over 2 years old, has entered a critical phase as Russian forces make significant advances, prompting Western nations to consider how the conflict might end.
While campaigning, Trump claimed he could bring peace to Ukraine within 24 hours if elected, though he has not offered details on how he would accomplish this.
Last Thursday, Putin congratulated Trump and praised him for his resilience during an attempted assassination. He expressed Moscow’s readiness for dialogue with the US under Trump’s leadership.
Russia has recently warned the US and its allies that if they authorise Ukraine to launch strikes deep into Russian territory with Western-supplied missiles, Moscow will consider it a major escalation.
Putin previously stated that NATO’s involvement in such strikes would mean “the direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States, and European countries in the war in Ukraine.”
The Kremlin added that it noticed European leaders’ nervousness about Trump’s election but noted they continued to provide Ukraine with weapons to “continue this war to the end”.
Peskov responded to reports that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were attempting to persuade US President Joe Biden to permit Ukraine to launch long-range missile strikes into Russia, saying, “Nothing can be ruled out.”
“We, in turn, will continue the SMO (special military operation) until we achieve all our goals,” said Peskov. He emphasised that no individual weapons could change the dynamics of the conflict, which Russian military leaders understand well.
The conflict has deepened since Putin first deployed troops into Ukraine in 2022, following years of conflict in the eastern region. He frames the war as a clash between Russia and the West, accusing Western countries of ignoring Russia’s interests after the 1991 Soviet Union collapse.
Ukraine and its Western allies, however, view Putin’s actions as an imperialistic assault on a smaller neighbor, warning that a Russian victory could embolden autocratic regimes worldwide.