Kremlin Refutes Reports of Trump-Putin Call Regarding Ukraine De-escalation

Reports from various media outlets, alleging a telephone conversation between US President-elect Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, have been refuted by the Kremlin. During this alleged call, Trump was reportedly said to have cautioned the Russian president against intensifying the conflict in Ukraine. The Washington Post initially reported on Sunday that this communication purportedly occurred on Thursday. Additionally, Trump was reported to have brought up America’s substantial military footprint in Europe to Putin. A spokesperson for the Kremlin characterized these reports as “pure fiction.” Meanwhile, Trump’s team informed the BBC that they would refrain from commenting on the president-elect’s “private calls.” Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, stated to the BBC: “We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders.” However, he noted that various leaders had initiated contact with the president-elect. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, refuted that any such conversation occurred. Peskov declared: “This is completely untrue, it is pure fiction. That is, this is simply false information. There was no conversation.” Trump has pledged to bring an end to the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine, though he has not yet detailed his proposed method for achieving this. Previously, Zelensky cautioned against ceding territory to Russia and asserted that Ukraine would be defeated in the war without assistance from the US. On Sunday, Peskov conveyed to Russian state media that there were “positive” indications from the forthcoming US administration; however, some express confidence that the future president will not forsake Ukraine. Among these is John Healey, the British defence secretary, who stated his expectation for the US “to remain alongside allies like the UK, standing with Ukraine for as long as it takes to prevail over Putin’s invasion.” During a Sunday visit to Ukraine, Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, cautioned that any resolution to the conflict must be sustainable. He remarked: “This is a warning for the ones who say, this war has to end, so let’s finish it as soon as possible no matter how. How matters.” From Washington, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan indicated that outgoing President Joe Biden would argue to Trump that disengaging from Ukraine would lead to increased instability across Europe. On Monday, Germany’s Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, issued a warning that Putin might exploit the US post-election transition phase to advance Moscow’s position in Ukraine. She called upon Berlin and other European Union member states to boost their assistance to Kyiv, stating: “We don’t have time to wait until spring. Now is the transition phase that Putin has been waiting for and aiming for.” On Monday, a dam situated near the front line in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region sustained damage, as reported by regional head Vadym Filashkin. Filashkin stated that the Kurakhove reservoir’s dam had been struck by a Russian attack, cautioning that increasing water levels “potentially threatens” communities along the Vovcha River. Russia, however, asserted that Ukraine was accountable. The previous week saw Russia and Ukraine conduct their most extensive drone assaults since the conflict began. Russia’s defence ministry reported intercepting 84 Ukrainian drones across six regions, with some nearing Moscow, leading to flight diversions from three of the capital’s primary airports. Ukraine’s air force indicated that Russia deployed 145 drones targeting various parts of the country on Saturday night, with the majority being intercepted. Following the most recent wave of Russian air strikes on Monday, a minimum of six individuals were killed and 21 sustained injuries in Ukraine. Concurrently, Russia announced the destruction of 13 Ukrainian drones close to its western regions of Kursk and Belgorod, reporting no fatalities. After Monday’s strike, Zelensky posted on Twitter: “Every day, every night, Russia unleashes the same terror.” He added: “More and more civilian sites are being targeted. Russia only wants to continue the war, and each of its strikes negates any claims of diplomacy from Russia.” Zelensky appealed for “stronger global support” and additional weaponry to counter Russian aggression. In other developments, Moscow’s defence ministry reported that its forces had seized the village of Kolisnykivka within the Kharkiv region. Analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War by the AFP news agency indicates that Russian territorial advances in October represented the most significant gains since March 2022.