According to reports, Donald Trump urged Vladimir Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine the day after the presidential election.

The US president-elect also reminded the Russian president during the conversation on Thursday of America’s extensive military presence in Europe, he said The Washington Post and Reuters, citing sources familiar with the call.

According to several other sources, the pair then discussed the goal of peace on the continent, as well as the prospect of a new call soon to look at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

Latest US elections: Trump ‘had a phone call with Putin’

The Kremlin said this on Friday Mr Putin was willing to talk to Ukraine Mr. Trump – but that did not mean he was willing to change Moscow’s demands – namely that Ukraine abandon its ambitions to join NATO and surrender the four territories currently held by Russia.

The Washington Post said two sources indicated that the Ukrainian government was aware of the phone call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin — and that they had no objection to the call taking place.

However, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it was “impossible” that Ukraine would have supported such a call and that otherwise the reports were “false”.

When asked about the phone call, Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung said: “We do not comment on private conversations between President Trump and other world leaders.”

The Russian embassy in Washington has not commented yet.

Meanwhile, the US President Joe Bidenwho will hand over power on January 20, will warn Mr Trump and Congress not to abandon Ukraine, one of the president’s top officials said.

The president-elect and the sitting president will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, a week after Trump defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the election. the election.

In an interview with CBS News, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, “President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to Congress and the new administration that the United States should not leave Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe.”

Under Biden, Washington has provided tens of billions of dollars in military and economic aid to Ukraine — funding that Trump, and some of his supporters, have repeatedly criticized and opposed.

Trump insisted last year that Putin would never have invaded Ukraine had he been in the White House at the time, and has repeatedly said he could settle the war “in a day” if re-elected.

The Ukrainian president spoke on Sunday evening Volodymyr Zelensky This force and diplomacy must work together to end the two and a half year war.

“We understand very clearly that diplomacy without force has no prospects,” he said.

“But without a clear understanding of the diplomatic objectives, weapons alone will not be enough. That is why strength and diplomacy must go hand in hand.”

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It comes as both Russia and Ukraine launched “record” drone strikes on Saturday night, injuring a woman and temporarily halting air traffic at some of Russia’s busiest airports.

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According to Ukraine, Russia launched 145 drones overnight, 62 of which were shot down as the two countries attacked each other.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said 70 drones were shot down on its territory, including 34 over the outskirts of the capital Moscow.