Russia has denied a reported call between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on the Ukraine conflict, stating that it saw no signs the West was ready for talks.
The Washington Post reported on Sunday that Trump had spoken by phone on Thursday with Putin, urging him not to inflame the conflict.
Trump’s election to the White House has the potential to upend the almost three-year conflict and has raised questions about Washington’s multi-billion-dollar support for Kyiv, which is crucial to its defence.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the report, telling journalists it was “false”.
In a written statement, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, said, “We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders”.
A senior Ukrainian presidential official also stated that Kyiv was “not informed” of any call between Putin and Trump.
During his campaign, Trump said he could end the fighting within hours and indicated he would talk directly with Putin.
He spoke by phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday, and the pair “agreed to work together towards a return to peace in Europe”, according to Scholz’s spokesman.
The Russian president has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from swathes of its eastern and southern territory as a precondition for peace talks.
Following Trump’s election, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that there should be “no concessions” to Putin.
