On November 7, Donald Trump held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin from his residence in Florida, the Washington Post reports. The former US president called on the Russian leader to reduce tensions in Ukraine and expressed a desire to discuss possible ways to end the hostilities as soon as possible.

Trump, according to the publication, emphasized his interest in a peaceful settlement and the establishment of stability in Europe. In the conversation, he noted the presence of large US military forces in Europe, which could be perceived as a signal to Russia to avoid further escalation of the conflict. The former president also briefly touched on the status of territories under Russian control, indicating the possibility of negotiations on this issue.

The source claims that Trump has made it clear to Putin that he is open to further contact to discuss the details of a possible peace deal that would help end the conflict. The Washington Post previously reported that Trump has privately mentioned his support for a compromise solution in which Russia could keep some of the territory it has captured. That approach is presumably still relevant today.

According to the Washington Post, the Ukrainian government was informed of Trump's call with Putin and did not object. The sources say that Ukrainian officials are aware of Trump's intention to engage with Moscow to resolve the conflict diplomatically. However, there has been no official statement from Kyiv regarding the conversation.

Interestingly, Trump’s call was not arranged through the State Department, nor did it involve government interpreters. Trump’s transition team did not sign an agreement with the General Services Administration, which is required to begin the standard transfer of power. The Washington Post notes that this is due to Trump and his team’s distrust of government officials after leaks of his phone records during his first term.