Trump Talks with Putin: "Do Not Escalate the Ukraine War"

Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, reportedly advised Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 7th (local time) not to escalate the Ukraine war during a phone call, according to the Washington Post (WP) on the 10th.

According to WP, Trump made this remark to President Putin at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, reminding him of the large-scale deployment of U.S. troops in Europe. Citing sources, WP reported, "The two discussed the goal of peace on the European continent, and Trump expressed interest in holding follow-up talks soon to discuss an early end to the Russia-Ukraine war."

The Ukrainian government is said to have been informed about the call between Trump and Putin and reportedly did not oppose it. Ukrainian officials have long expected that Trump would negotiate with President Putin for a diplomatic solution for Ukraine, WP explained.

During his candidacy, former President Trump emphasized that he would end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office, but he never specifically mentioned how he would achieve this. However, some speculate that Trump's proposed peace negotiations might include postponing Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or ceding some Ukrainian territory.

For this reason, Russia appears to welcome Trump's presidency. On the 7th, at the Valdai Discussion Club plenary session held in Sochi, southern Russia, President Putin said, "I want to take this opportunity to congratulate him on being elected President of the United States," expressing his willingness to engage in dialogue with Trump. He also praised Trump's behavior during an assassination attempt in July, saying, "He is brave."

Meanwhile, since his election, Trump has been making consecutive phone calls with leaders of various countries. However, Trump's transition team has not yet signed an agreement with the U.S. government for the presidential transition. A Trump aide told WP, "They (foreign leaders) are calling him (Trump) directly."