Trump urges Putin for peace as musk backs Ukraine aid
The President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, spoke with Vladimir Putin on Sunday, according to the Washington Post. The topic of the talks was "the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon." Earlier, the future US leader spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to a person familiar with the conversation, cited by the newspaper, Donald Trump "advised the Russian president not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of Washington’s sizable military presence in Europe."
The "Washington Post" source added that the president-elect and the Russian leader discussed achieving peace on the so-called Old Continent. Trump also expressed interest in another discussion about the prompt end of the war in Ukraine.
The newspaper adds that the Ukrainian government was informed about the conversation and "did not object" to it taking place.
Earlier Trump-Musk-Zelensky conversation
On Wednesday, before the discussed conversation between Trump and Putin, the president-elect had a phone conversation with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Billionaire Elon Musk was also involved, as reported by the Axios portal.
During the conversation, Trump said he would support Ukraine, without providing details, claims the portal. According to Zelensky, the conversation went well and did not increase his concern over the Democrats losing the presidency. One of the Axios sources stated that the conversation "didn't leave Zelensky with a feeling of despair."
Why was Musk involved in the conversation? Axios reports that the billionaire assured the president of Ukraine that he would continue to support it through his Starlink satellites.
Trump's public statements during the election campaign — promises of a quick end to the war, refusal to reveal whether he wishes victory for Russia or Ukraine, and criticism of the large aid packages flowing to Kyiv from Washington — caused concern throughout Europe — reminded the American portal, noting that outgoing President Joe Biden's administration is currently seeking ways to provide Ukraine with as much military aid as possible before 20 January, when Trump could take office and potentially cut off the flow of funds.
