Donald Trump Tells Putin Not to Escalate Ukraine War in Post-Election Call

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Jason Lemon is a Senior Politics Editor at Newsweek based in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to taking on the editor role, Jason's reporting focused on U.S. politics and international affairs. He joined Newsweek in 2018, and had previously worked as an editor at a Middle Eastern media startup called StepFeed. He also worked a year as a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and has bylines in The Christian Science Monitor, The Palm Beach Post, Al Fanar Media and A Magazine. He is a graduate of the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and Andrews University in Michigan. You can get in touch with Jason by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English, Spanish, French and Levantine Arabic

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Peter Aitken is a Newsweek Politics Editor based in New York. His focus is domestic U.S. politics, but he has experience covering Foreign Affairs, Business and Technology. Peter joined Newsweek in 2024 from Fox News Digital and had previously freelanced at Business Insider. He has interviewed such notable figures as Benjamin Netanyahu, Gen. David H. Petraeus, British Foreign Ministers James Cleverly and Grant Shapps and a ranking member of the Taliban. He graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, but is New York born and raised. You can get in touch with Peter by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English.

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President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in a post-election phone call, reportedly telling him not to escalate the Ukraine war, according to The Washington Post.

Trump reportedly reminded Putin about "Washington's sizeable military presence in Europe," the Post's Sunday report said. The call was made from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

The pair reportedly discussed the goal of peace on the European continent, and Trump said he would look for a follow-up conversation to discuss a "resolution of Ukraine's war."

Steven Cheung, Trump's communications director, told Newsweek in an emailed response to a request for comment that "we do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders."

"President Trump won a historic election decisively and leaders from around the world know America will return to prominence on the world stage," the statement said. "That is why leaders have begun the process of developing stronger relationships with the 45th and 47th President because he represents global peace and stability."

Putin and Trump
President Donald Trump attends a meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019. The Washington Post reported on Sunday that Trump and Putin have spoken in... Brendan Smialowski/AFP via GETTY IMAGES

Trump repeatedly insisted while out on the campaign trail that he could make a deal to swiftly end the Russia-Ukraine war, which will be nearly three years old when he takes office in January. However, the Kremlin tried to downplay that possibility after Trump's win, calling the promise an "exaggeration."

Putin had sent Trump congratulations on his win "through acquaintances," according to "a high-ranking interlocuter in parliament," as reported by Russian news outlet Verstka.

The call to Putin reportedly occurred Thursday, one day after Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone. Zelensky described the call as positive, with an Axios source relating that the call "didn't leave Zelensky with a feeling of despair."

Trump reportedly said he would continue to support Ukraine without going into specifics, while Elon Musk, whose satellite internet service Starlink has played a critical role in supporting Ukraine, said he would continue providing service.

The president-elect never shared any details as to how he might achieve this deal, but some reports have suggested he could seek a demilitarized zone in the east and effectively freeze the front lines of the war. Zelensky has said he was unaware of any specific details regarding a Trump plan to end the war.

The calls Trump has placed so far to world leaders since winning the election have not been conducted with support from either the U.S. State Department or U.S. government interpreters.

Update, 11/10/24 at 5:01 p.m. ET: Additional context and a statement from Trump's spokesperson were added.

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About the writer

Jason Lemon is a Senior Politics Editor at Newsweek based in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to taking on the editor role, Jason's reporting focused on U.S. politics and international affairs. He joined Newsweek in 2018, and had previously worked as an editor at a Middle Eastern media startup called StepFeed. He also worked a year as a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and has bylines in The Christian Science Monitor, The Palm Beach Post, Al Fanar Media and A Magazine. He is a graduate of the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and Andrews University in Michigan. You can get in touch with Jason by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English, Spanish, French and Levantine Arabic

Writers Page
and

Peter Aitken is a Newsweek Politics Editor based in New York. His focus is domestic U.S. politics, but he has experience covering Foreign Affairs, Business and Technology. Peter joined Newsweek in 2024 from Fox News Digital and had previously freelanced at Business Insider. He has interviewed such notable figures as Benjamin Netanyahu, Gen. David H. Petraeus, British Foreign Ministers James Cleverly and Grant Shapps and a ranking member of the Taliban. He graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, but is New York born and raised. You can get in touch with Peter by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English.

Writers Page

Jason Lemon is a Senior Politics Editor at Newsweek based in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to taking on the editor role, Jason's reporting focused ... Read more