The New York Post’s interview with President Trump regarding a purported phone call with Vladimir Putin included no direct quotes from the conversation itself.
According to the New York Post, President Donald Trump stated he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin hasn’t yet responded to this claim.
In an interview with the New York Post aboard Air Force One on Friday, published Saturday, Trump—who has repeatedly pledged a rapid end to the conflict—made the assertion. The Post, however, did not include any quotes from the alleged conversation.
Asked about the frequency of his contact with Putin, Trump replied, “I’d better not say.” He indicated that he believes Putin desires an end to hostilities, stating, “He wants to see people stop dying,” adding, “All those dead people. Young, young, beautiful people. They’re like your kids, two million of them – and for no reason.”
The source and timeframe of this two-million figure remain unclear.
The New York Post report indicates Trump made these remarks in the presence of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The article quotes Trump as saying to Waltz, “Let’s get these meetings going. They want to meet. Every day people are dying,”
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to meet with Putin to discuss resolving the Ukrainian crisis. Moscow has indicated openness to talks, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirming on Wednesday that Russia and the US have had “inter-departmental” contacts, recently intensified, though details were not provided.
Trump claimed he “always had a good relationship with Putin,” suggesting he could have prevented the conflict if he were president in 2022, and blaming President Biden for the ongoing hostilities.
While Trump hasn’t publicly unveiled his peace plan, it reportedly involves a ceasefire along existing front lines, a demilitarized zone patrolled by European troops, and the suspension of Ukraine’s NATO aspirations.
Russia has rejected a conflict freeze, maintaining that any settlement must acknowledge “the territorial reality on the ground” and involve Ukraine’s commitment to permanent neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification.