‘If Trump wins, he will not wait until the inauguration ceremony to manage a peace,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at a press conference in Strasbourg in early October. It seems that President-elect Donald Trump is indeed wasting no time in fulfilling his promise to bring the war in Ukraine to a swift end. According to US press reports, the 47th President of the United States had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, 7 November, urging him to prevent the conflict from escalating further.
Anonymous sources familiar with the details of the discussion told The Washington Post that during the phone call, Trump also reminded Putin of Washington’s significant military presence in Europe. The two men discussed the goal of achieving peace on the European continent, and Trump expressed interest in follow-up conversations to discuss ‘the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon,’ according to the sources.
Peace through Strength
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly stated that if elected, he would swiftly end the war in Ukraine, bringing long-awaited peace and stability to Europe. The president-elect also said that his administration would significantly reduce military and financial aid to Kyiv. Trump’s position on the war in Ukraine aligns with that of his long-time ally, Viktor Orbán. Orbán has been the only European Union leader to advocate for peace since the outbreak of the war. His stance has provoked outrage, demonization, and retaliation from Brussels.
Following Trump’s election, the leaders of the EU and other European countries gathered in Budapest, the Hungarian capital, to discuss the challenges facing the continent and explore effective responses. The European Political Community (EPC) summit concluded with an agreement among participants that peace must be achieved as quickly as possible concerning the conflict in Ukraine. The EPC summit was followed by an informal European Council meeting on Friday, where EU leaders adopted a declaration aimed at promoting competitiveness.
At both meetings, Orbán highlighted that Europe must respond appropriately to the situation following the US presidential elections, particularly regarding support for Ukraine. The EU, in cooperation with the United States and G7, has committed 50 billion USD in loans to Kyiv, but the incoming Trump administration is unlikely to support the current deal.
Prior to Thursday’s phone call, Trump also held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—during which Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, Tesla, and X, also participated. Musk has contributed significant resources to Donald Trump’s campaign and, according to reports, could even be offered a position in the next administration. Zelenskyy also congratulated Trump following his election, stating in a post on X that he admires Trump’s ‘commitment to the “peace through strength” approach in global affairs.’ ‘I am hopeful that we will put it into action together,’ he added.
Who’s Telling the Truth?
According to The Washington Post, Ukraine was informed of Trump’s discussion with Putin, to which Kyiv had no objection. However, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry later stated that the Ukrainian government was not aware of the phone call. ‘Reports that the Ukrainian side was informed in advance of the alleged call are false. Therefore, Ukraine could not have either endorsed or opposed the call,’ Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told Reuters.
The Kremlin also denied that a Trump–Putin phone call regarding Ukraine took place. ‘It is pure fiction; it is simply false information,’ Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the call. ‘There was no conversation,’ The Guardian reported. Peskov further stated that Putin have no specific plans to speak with Trump at present.
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