Donald Trump Tells Putin Not to Escalate War in Ukraine During Phone Call

Donald Trump spoke to Putin, telling him not to escalate the war in Ukraine

According to Reuters, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 7, two days after winning the election. The two leaders reportedly discussed the Ukraine situation, with Trump advising Putin against escalating the conflict.

Sources said that Trump spoke with Putin after Putin congratulated him and expressed a willingness to improve U.S.-Russia relations and work toward ending the war in Ukraine.

Trump took the call from his resort in Florida and reminded Putin about the strong U.S. military presence in Europe as he urged caution in Ukraine.

So far, neither the U.S. nor Russia have officially confirmed the call.

At a recent public event in Sochi, Russia, Putin said he saw no problem in speaking with Trump and said he welcomed efforts to restore relations with the U.S., which he feels is necessary for resolving the Ukraine crisis. He also called Trump a "brave man," saying he was impressed by Trump's composure after an assassination attempt in July.

Before his call with Putin, Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump has criticized the scale of U.S. support for Ukraine, promising to end the war quickly, though he has not provided specifics on his plan.

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk joined Trump on the call with Zelenskyy and assured Zelenskyy he would keep providing Starlink satellite internet to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy later said, "We agreed to stay in close communication and keep working together. Strong U.S. leadership is important for the world and for achieving a fair peace."

Trump will take office on January 20 after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election.