The Kremlin on Monday denied┬аreports that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump had spoken to┬аRussian President Vladimir Putin in recent days, and said Putin┬аhad no concrete plans yet to speak to Trump.
The Washington Post first reported that the call had taken┬аplace, citing unidentified sources, and said that Trump had told┬аPutin that he should not escalate the Ukraine war. Reuters also┬аreported on the call, citing an unidentified source it┬аsaid was familiar with the conversation.
“This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction, it’s just┬аfalse information,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told┬аreporters. “There was no conversation.”┬а
“This is the most obvious example of the quality of the┬аinformation that is being published now, sometimes even in┬аfairly reputable publications,” Peskov said.┬а
Asked if Putin had plans for any contacts with Trump, Peskov┬аsaid: “There are no concrete plans yet.”
The 2-┬╜-year-old┬аin Ukraine is entering what some┬аofficials say could be its final – and most dangerous – phase as┬аMoscow’s forces advance at their fastest pace since the early┬аweeks of the conflict.
Trump said during campaigning that he could bring peace in┬аUkraine within 24 hours if elected, but has given few details on┬аhow he would seek to end the biggest land war in Europe since┬аWorld War Two.
Putin congratulated Trump on Thursday, praised him for┬аshowing courage when a gunman tried to assassinate him, and said┬аMoscow was ready for dialogue with the Republican┬аpresident-elect.
Republican┬аTrump┬аwill take office on Jan. 20 after defeating Vice-President┬аKamala Harris┬аin the┬аNov. 5 presidential┬аelection. Biden has invited┬аTrump┬аto come to the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that Biden’s top message will be his commitment to ensure a peaceful transfer of power,┬аand┬аhe will also talk to┬аTrump┬аabout what’s happening in Europe, in Asia┬аand┬аthe Middle East.
“President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress┬аand┬аto the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe,” Sullivan told CBS News’ Face the Nation┬аshow.
Massive drone attack on Moscow
Sullivan’s comments came as Ukraine┬аattacked Moscow┬аon Sunday with at least 34 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the beginning of the war.
When asked if Biden would┬аask Congress to pass legislation to authorize more funding for Ukraine, Sullivan deferred.
“I’m not here to put forward a specific legislative proposal. President Biden will make the case that we do need ongoing resources for Ukraine beyond the end of his term,” Sullivan said.
Russia has been signaling to the United States and its┬аallies for weeks that if they give permission to Ukraine to┬аstrike deep into Russian territory with Western-supplied┬аmissiles, then Moscow will consider it a major escalation.
Putin said on Sept. 12 that Western approval for such a step┬аwould mean “the direct involvement of NATO countries, the United┬аStates and European countries in the war in Ukraine” because┬аNATO military infrastructure and personnel would have to be┬аinvolved in the targeting and firing of the missiles.┬а
The Kremlin said that it sensed European powers were nervous┬аabout Trump’s election, but that they were still “pumping┬аweapons into Ukraine in order to continue this war to the end.”
Peskov was asked about reports that British Prime Minister┬аKeir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron wanted to┬аconvince U.S. President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to fire Storm┬аShadow missiles deep into Russia.
Some Ukrainians are expressing uneasiness that Donald TrumpтАЩs U.S. election win could mean an end to the country’s support against Russia. Trump has publicly criticized sending Ukraine billions in military aid, and has said he could make a deal to тАШend the war in a day.тАЩ
“Nothing can be ruled out,” Peskov said, adding that┬аEuropean leaders still wanted to inflict a strategic defeat on┬а
Russia.┬а
“We, in turn, will continue the SMO (special military┬аoperation) until we achieve all our goals,” Peskov said. “And it is probably important┬аto note that no individual types of weapons are able to change┬аthis dynamic anymore.”
According to the Government Accountability Office, Congress appropriated over $174 billion US to Ukraine under Biden, funding that┬аTrump┬аhas repeatedly criticized┬аand┬аrallied against with other Republican lawmakers.
Trump┬аinsisted last year that┬аPutin┬аnever would have invaded Ukraine if he had been in the White House at the time. He told Reuters Ukraine may have to cede territory to reach a peace agreement, something the Ukrainians reject┬аand┬аBiden has never suggested.
Zelensky┬аsaid on Thursday┬аhe was not aware of any details of┬аTrump’s plan to end the Ukraine war quickly┬аand┬аthat he was convinced a rapid end would entail major concessions for Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he spoke with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump following his victory. Additionally, multiple outlets have reported that billionaire Elon Musk joined the call as well. Nicholas Drummond, a former British Army officer, says Musk could be a тАШgoodтАЩ influence on Trump.
Putin, who ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022┬аafter eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine, casts the war┬аas a battle between Russia and the declining West, which he says┬аignored Russia’s interests after the 1991 Soviet collapse.
Ukraine and its Western allies say Putin unleashed an┬аimperial-style war against its smaller neighbour and have┬аrepeatedly said that if Russia wins the war then autocratic┬аcountries across the world will be emboldened.┬а
Moscow’s forces occupy around a fifth of Ukraine. Russia says the war cannot end until its claimed annexations are recognized. Kyiv demands all of its territory back, a position that has largely been supported by Western allies.
