Moscow, January 21, 2025 — The Europe Today: Russia has not received any communication from the White House regarding plans to arrange a phone call between President Vladimir Putin and newly-inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump, revealed Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Ushakov addressed speculation in the media about the Trump administration’s intent to organize direct talks between the two leaders to address the Ukraine conflict.
“We’ve been following media reports that the U.S. administration is preparing for dialogue, and that Trump allegedly instructed his team to contact Russia,” Ushakov noted. He added that Moscow remains open to discussions if the U.S. demonstrates mutual interest.
These remarks follow a CNN report claiming Trump’s national security team has been planning a call with Moscow since before the inauguration. Although no date has been confirmed, the report suggests this would signal a shift from former President Joe Biden’s approach, as Biden had not spoken directly with Putin in nearly three years.
Earlier this month, Trump expressed his intent to engage with Putin, emphasizing his commitment to improving U.S.-Russia relations and ending the Ukraine conflict. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow’s openness to negotiations with no preconditions.
The last meeting between Putin and Trump occurred in 2019 during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. On Monday, Putin conveyed good wishes to Trump and welcomed his statements about restoring relations and preventing the Ukraine conflict from escalating further.
Trump has repeatedly promised to end the fighting between Moscow and Kiev within 24 hours of returning to office. While addressing journalists during his inauguration, Trump humorously remarked, “It’s only half a day, and I have another half a day left. We’ll see.”
In recent weeks, reports have suggested Trump’s team is considering a peace plan for Ukraine, potentially involving a ceasefire, a demilitarized zone along the front lines, and European peacekeeping forces.
