The US President-elect is said to have urged Putin, according to sources, not to expand the war in Ukraine. The two are said to have discussed "peace in Europe" and a "swift solution to the war in Ukraine".
During the election campaign, Trump said he would end the war "within 24 hours" by negotiating a settlement.
Trump and Putin are said to have spoken on Thursday. On the same day, Trump told NBC that he had spoken to around 70 world leaders, including Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky - but not Putin.
The conversations, according to The Washington Post, were not conducted with the help of the US State Department and official government interpreters, which is customary for President-elects. The reason is that Trump has not yet signed an agreement with the authority handling the transfer of power. The former President and his staff are said to be suspicious of government officials after Trump's time in the White House from 2017-2021.
"Leaders around the world know that the US will regain its prominent position on the global stage. Therefore, leaders have begun to cultivate a stronger relationship with the 45th and 47th President, he stands for global peace and stability", writes Trump's communications chief Steven Cheung in an email to the newspaper.
