Official statements from the U.S. State Department or credible news reports

Putin Praises Trump in Reported Ukraine War Call Denied by Kremlin

Nov 11, 2024, 07:24 AM

President-elect Donald Trump reportedly spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Thursday, discussing the resolution of the Ukraine war. Putin praised Trump as "courageous" and hinted at the possibility of Ukraine talks. The conversation marks the first between the two leaders since Trump's election victory. Trump, who has claimed he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, expressed his desire to organize peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. According to his spokeswoman Caroline Levitt, "he would now be able to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. It includes, on Day 1, bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table to end this war." Reports suggest that Trump is pushing for peace talks before taking office, urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky towards negotiations and possibly altering NATO's role in the conflict. Some sources indicate that Trump engaged Putin without State Department support or government interpreters. Additionally, Trump reportedly warned Putin against escalating the conflict in Ukraine. However, the Kremlin denies that any such conversation took place, calling the reports "false information." Ukraine's Foreign Ministry also stated that it was not informed of any call between Trump and Putin.