Donald Trump warns Putin not to escalate Ukraine war in personal phone call with Russian premier
Donald Trump held a personal phone call with Vladimir Putin on Thursday in which he told the Russian premier not to escalate the war in Ukraine, it has emerged.
The President-elect, who retook the White House in a barnstorming electoral victory earlier this week, urged Putin not to take things further, the Washington Post revealed on Sunday.
But Trump also issued his Russian soon-to-be counterpart with a stark reminder.
He told Putin not to forget America’s “sizeable” military presence in Europe, several people familiar with the call told The Post.
Trump said he would bring an immediate end to the war in Ukraine throughout the campaign trail – and pledged to GB News that Putin would “never” have invaded his next-door neighbour under a Trump presidency.
And in the two leaders’ call, Trump “briefly raised the issue of land”, the newspaper’s sources said – but Russia has since insisted that Putin’s demands have not changed.
The Russian president’s terms for his war to end include Ukraine dropping its Nato ambitions and withdrawing all of its troops from the entirety of four regions claimed by Russia.
Trump has also spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – calling the embattled leader the day before speaking to Putin.
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Zelensky – parts of whose forces still sit inside Russia, even months after a shocking incursion – has rejected Putin’s terms.
He says accepting them would be tantamount to capitulation, and has put forward a “victory plan” which includes requests for additional military support from the West.
The landmark Trump-Putin call looks to be defying critics who claim he would force Ukraine to accept an uneasy peace with Russia.
But if Ukraine wants Western weapons, it may find itself facing an uphill battle under Trump – not least after Donald Trump Jr’s comments on Sunday.
After US comedian Dave Smith wrote: “We need maximum pressure to keep all neocons and war hawks out of the Trump administration,” Trump Jr replied, “Agreed!!! 100 per cent 100 per cent 100 per cent I’m on it.”
While on Saturday, Trump Jr shared a video of Zelensky looking unhappy alongside Donald Trump with the caption: “POV [point of view]: You’re 38 days from losing your allowance.”
It’s unclear just how much sway Trump Jr holds over his father – but he has been credited with helping to install JD Vance as Trump’s running-mate and Vice President-elect.