Kremlin: Trump-Putin Call On Ukraine Is ‘Pure Fiction’
Photo: Reuters
WASHINGTON, DC (Reuters) -The Kremlin has dismissed reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with US President-elect Donald Trump, calling the claims “pure fiction.”
The media had reported that a call had occurred, citing anonymous sources, and suggested that Trump had advised Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine.
“It is false. It is pure fiction; it is simply false information,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the supposed conversation. “There was no conversation.”
According to the Washington Post, Trump reportedly reminded Putin of the US’s substantial military presence in Europe and expressed interest in further discussions on “resolving the war in Ukraine soon.”
Peskov, known for previously dismissing reports that were later substantiated, recently labelled claims of North Korean soldiers in Russia as “fake news,” despite credible audio and visual evidence to the contrary. However, the Kremlin’s swift rejection of this alleged call is likely to raise questions, especially as both leaders have indicated openness to dialog in the past.
Trump’s team has not confirmed any call with Putin. When approached by Fox News about the Washington Post’s report, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, stated, “We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders.”
The Kremlin has consistently stated that Putin is open to discussing Ukraine with the West, though this does not imply any shift in Moscow’s demands.
On 14 June, Putin outlined a maximalist position for ending the war, insisting that Ukraine must abandon its ambitions to join NATO and withdraw all troops from territories within four regions claimed by Russia.
During his campaign, Trump asserted that he could broker a resolution to the war “within a day” but did not provide details on how he would achieve this. Reports indicate he also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on November 6. Zelenskyy later confirmed the conversation, describing it as an “excellent call.”
