US president-elect Donald Trump has reportedly spoken to Vladimir Putin about Russia's war in Ukraine, urging him not to escalate the conflict, but the Kremlin denies the two have spoken.
The Washington Post first reported, citing unidentified sources, that Trump took the call from his home in Florida on Thursday, local time, and used the conversation to remind the Russian president of America's significant military capability in Europe.
Reuters also reported an unidentified source familiar with the call had said the two had spoken in recent days.
But, in an unusual move, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that no such call had taken place.
"This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction. It's just false information," he told reporters.
"There was no conversation. This is the most obvious example of the quality of the information that is being published now, sometimes even in fairly reputable publications."
Asked whether Mr Putin had plans to contact Trump, Mr Peskov said: "There are no concrete plans yet."
Overnight, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and the president-elect had spoken three times in recent days.
"These were good and very important conversations," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement.
"We see eye to eye on the Iranian threat in all its components, and the danger posed by it. We also see the great opportunities before Israel, in the field of peace and its expansion, and in other fields."
With major conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, Trump's approach to foreign policy is being closely watched.
Trump has told local media he has spoken to about 70 world leaders since the election, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — a call that Elon Musk also joined.
On Sunday local time, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview on CBS that the Biden administration would use the next 70 days to convince Trump to stick by Ukraine as it defended itself against its Russian invaders.
Joe Biden and Trump are due to meet for the first time since the election on Wednesday, local time.
"They will go through the top issues, both domestic and foreign policy issues, including what is happening in Europe and Asia and the Middle East," Mr Sullivan told Face the Nation.
"The president will have the chance to explain to President Trump how he sees things, where they stand and talk to President Trump about how … [he] is thinking about taking on these issues when he takes office."
Trump campaigned on ending the war in Ukraine, repeatedly saying he would be able to solve it within "one day" of taking power.
He has also repeatedly criticised the tens of billions of dollars in military and economic aid Washington has provided to Ukraine since Russia invaded it in February of 2022.
Mr Sullivan said the Biden administration would spend the transition period helping Ukraine to the "strongest possible position" on the battlefield and at the negotiation table.
"President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe," he said.
"President Biden made clear when President Zelenskyy was here in Washington a couple of months ago that we would spend all of the resources that were provided to us by the congress on time and in full.
"Meaning that by January 20, we will have sent the full amount of resources and aid to Ukraine the congress has authorised."
When asked if that meant Biden would ask congress to pass legislation to authorise more funding for Ukraine, Mr Sullivan deferred.
"I'm not here to put forward a specific legislative proposal. President Biden will make the case that we do need ongoing resources for Ukraine beyond the end of his term," he said.
Kremlin sees 'positive signals' from Trump
Overnight, Russia and Ukraine launched a record number of drones at each other.
Ukraine attacked Moscow with at least 34 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the start of the war in 2022, forcing flights to be diverted from three of the city's major airports and injuring at least five people.
The strikes came as speculation about how Trump would seek to the end the war in Ukraine ratcheted up.
The incoming president has not said how he intends to end the war, but he has told news agencies Ukraine may have to cede territory to reach a peace agreement — something the Ukrainians reject and Mr Biden has never suggested.
On Sunday local time, the Kremlin's official spokesman voiced cautious optimism about Trump's upcoming presidency.
"The signals are positive. Trump, during his election campaign, said that he perceives everything through deals, that he can make deals that will lead everyone toward peace," Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a briefing.
"He does not talk about a desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, and this favourably distinguishes him from the current [US] administration."
But Mr Zelenskyy on Sunday insisted "strong decisions" from Kyiv's Western partners were needed to stop the "terror" of Russian drone and missile strikes, and secure "reliable peace" for Ukraine.
According to government figures, the United States congress appropriated more than $174 billion to Ukraine under Biden.
The pace of the aid is almost sure to drop under Trump, with Republicans set to take control of the US Senate with a 52-seat majority.
Control of the US House of Representatives in the next Congress is not yet clear, with some votes still being counted.
If Republicans win both chambers, it will mean the majority of Trump's agenda will have a significantly easier time passing through congress.
ABC/Reuters
