Kremlin Denies Trump-Putin Call Amid Ukraine Tensions
The Kremlin has firmly rejected reports suggesting that U.S. Presidentelect Donald Trump had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling the claims "completely false." This denial comes after a November 10 report from The Washington Post, which cited sources close to Trump stating that a call took place on November 7, following a previous interaction with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
According to the alleged report, Trump asked Putin not to escalate the situation in Ukraine and expressed his willingness to engage in discussions on a potential resolution of the conflict. Reuters also corroborated these claims by providing additional context.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on November 11, "This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction; it’s just false information," dismissing the report as media misrepresentation. Peskov further elaborated that there were no existing plans for such discussions between the two leaders.
Although Trump initially received a tepid response from Putin regarding his election victory, he later acknowledged the outcome informally on November 7, commending Trump's resilience following an assassination attempt earlier in the year. The Kremlin noticed a palpable unease in Europe following Trump's reelection campaign, which included assertions of potentially ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Despite Trump's earlier comments implying that Ukraine may need to concede territory to achieve peace with Russia, this claim has not been ratified or accepted by Ukrainian officials. While sources had suggested that Kyiv was informed of the purported call, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tikhiy later clarified to Reuters that Ukraine had no information about any such conversation. Tikhiy remarked, "Accordingly, Ukraine could not approve or oppose the call."
This incident underscores the escalating complexities in the international arena as new leadership assumes power, particularly with ongoing disputes like the war in Ukraine hanging in the balance. The Kremlin's emphasis on the falsehood of the reports reflects a broader struggle for narrative control in the face of uncertain geopolitical dynamics.
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