When Donald Trump won the US presidential election last Wednesday, one leader’s message of congratulation was conspicuously absent. It took the Russian president Vladimir Putin more than 24 hours to pass comment on Trump’s win. He eventually praised the President-elect as ‘courageous’ and stated he had ‘nothing against’ Trump trying to resume contact with him. Putin, however, wouldn’t be calling him.
Many in Ukraine have been concerned that Trump might seek to do a deal with Moscow over Kyiv’s head
Well now it appears Trump may well have made the call. It has been reported that last Thursday, the President-elect picked up the phone to Putin, warning him ‘not to escalate the war in Ukraine’ and reminding him of the American military’s ‘significant presence’ in Europe. The two are also said to have ‘briefly’ touched on the idea of a possible peace deal that would see Russia hold on to some of the Ukrainian territory it currently occupies.
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