Kremlin denies Putin and Trump spoke on phone

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin
| Photo Credit: AFP

The Kremlin on Monday denied a U.S. media report that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. president-elect Donald Trump had spoken on the phone last week about the Ukraine conflict.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that Mr. Trump talked by phone on Thursday with Mr. Putin, telling him not to inflame the conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the Washington Post report was “simply false information”, denying any phone call took place.

The Post report said that Mr. Trump in the call reminded Mr. Putin of Washington’s sizeable military foothold in Europe.

Several people speaking to the U.S. paper said Mr. Trump had expressed the desire for more conversations on “the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon”.

The Republican said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Mr. Putin.

Mr. Trump has not said how he intends to strike a peace deal or what terms he is proposing.

The Russian President has demanded Ukraine withdraw from swathes of its eastern and southern territory as a precondition to peace talks.

The Post reported that people familiar with Thursday’s call said Mr. Trump had briefly raised the question of land with Mr. Putin.

Following Trump’s election, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned there should be “no concessions” to Mr. Putin.

Ceding land or giving in to any of Moscow’s other hardline demands would only embolden the Kremlin and lead to more aggression, he said.