US President-Elect Trump Dials Putin, Urges Moscow To De-Escalate Ukraine Conflict: Report

US President-elect Donald Trump has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported.

He made the remarks in a phone call from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, only days after his emphatic election victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

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During the conversation, Trump reportedly reminded Putin of the significant US military presence in Europe and expressed interest in further discussions to resolve the war in Ukraine.

According to several anonymous sources cited by the Post, Trump emphasised the importance of ending the conflict and indicated a willingness to engage in future talks with Moscow on the matter.

The call followed Trump's Wednesday discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which included tech mogul Elon Musk. Zelensky described the call as "excellent," expressing optimism about continued dialogue and cooperation with the incoming administration.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its third year, remains a pivotal issue in global geopolitics. In recent months, both sides have made moves seemingly intended to gain leverage ahead of possible negotiations, with Ukraine seizing some Russian-held territory and Moscow's troops making advances within Ukraine.

This weekend saw the largest drone attacks yet from both sides.

Russia launched 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, according to Zelensky, while Russia claimed to have downed 34 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow on Sunday.

A Changing Landscape

Trump's election is viewed as having the potential to disrupt the nearly three-year-old conflict in Ukraine, as he insists on a swift end to the fighting and questions Washington's multi-billion-dollar support for Kyiv.

The outgoing Democratic administration of President Joe Biden has confirmed it will send as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump's inauguration on 20 January.

On Sunday, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reaffirmed President Joe Biden's commitment to Ukraine, stressing the need for continued US support until Biden's final day in office.

"We aim to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield," Sullivan said in an interview with *Face the Nation*.