'Pure fiction': Russia denies reports of Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin talks to end Ukraine war
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov alleged that even reputed publications are publishing “false information”.
Russia on Monday denied reports of a private conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump on ending the Ukraine war. Kremlin called the report “pure fiction” and “false information”.
“This is the most obvious example of the quality of the information that is now being published, sometimes even in fairly reputable outlets. This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction. This is just false information,” state-owned Sputnik News quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
On Sunday, The Washington Post reported that Trump spoke with Putin in a private telephone conversation from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday. It also claimed, without details, that Trump “briefly raised the issue of land” occupied by Russia in Ukraine.
According to the report, Trump reminded Putin of the US military presence in Europe and expressed interest in further conversations to resolve the conflict.
Trump's stance on Ukraine
During the election campaign, Trump claimed that he would have never allowed the war to begin if he had been the US president and also insisted on bringing a quick end to the war. He has also questioned Washington's multi-billion dollar support for Kyiv, a vital lifeline for Ukraine to sustain fighting.
Also read: European troops, 800-mile buffer and NATO: Trump's master plan for Ukraine war
Trump and his campaign had alleged that continued US aid for Ukraine helps fund a “corrupt” pro-war nexus of defence companies and foreign policy hawks in the Biden administration.
The war in Ukraine has dragged on for almost three years. Last weekend, the war front witnessed the biggest drone attacks yet from both sides. Russia launched 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, while Moscow claimed to have downed 34 Ukrainian drones targeting the capital city. The recent escalation of attacks is seen as both countries' attempts to gain the upper hand ahead of potential negotiations under a new US administration.
(With agency inputs)