Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Vladimir Putin on Thursday in their first phone call since he became U.S president-elect, per US media
WHAT TRUMP SAID
Trump advised Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of ‘Washington’s sizeable military presence in Europe’, according to the Washington Post.
During the election campaign, Trump said he would find a solution to end the war ‘within a day,’ but did not explain how he would do so.
Also, Trump had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.
On Friday, the Kremlin said Putin was ready to discuss Ukraine with Trump but that did not mean that he was willing to alter Moscow‘s demands.
WHAT RUSSIA WANTS UKRAINE TO DO
On June 14, Putin set out his terms for an end to the war: Ukraine would have to drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw all of its troops from all of the territory of four regions claimed by Russia.
UKRAINE SAYS NO
Ukraine rejected that, saying it would be tantamount to capitulation, and Zelensky has put forward a ‘victory plan’ that includes requests for additional military support from the West.
Trump’s call with the Putin comes one day after Republican strategist Bryan Lanza said the incoming president had ‘vision for peace’ for Ukraine but not a ‘winning’ outlook for the country at war with Russia.
‘When Zelensky says we will only stop this fighting, there will only be peace once Crimea is returned, we’ve got news for President Zelensky: Crimea is gone,’ Lanza told the BBC.
