Kremlin Spokesman 'Neither Confirms Nor Denies' Report Of Conversation Between Putin, Trump

(MENAFN- IANS) Moscow, Feb 9 (IANS) Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that he could "neither confirm nor deny" reports of a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald trump regarding Ukraine, media reported.

"As the administration in Washington unfolds its work, there are many different communications. And these communications are carried out through different channels," TASS news agency quoted Peskov as saying.

"And of course, given the multiplicity of these communications, I personally may not know something, not be aware of something. Therefore, in this case, I can neither confirm nor deny it," he added.

The New York Post reported earlier that Trump said he had discussed the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine by phone with Putin, Xinhua news agency reported.

Trump, who has promised to end the war in Ukraine but not yet set out in public how he would do so, said last week that the war was a bloodbath and that his team had had "some very good talks".

In an interview aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump told the New York Post that he had "better not say," when asked how many times he and Putin had spoken.

"He (Putin) wants to see people stop dying," Trump told the New York Post.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian President was toppled in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution and Russia annexed Crimea, with Russian-backed separatist forces fighting Ukraine's armed forces.

Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022, calling it a "special military operation" to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine and counter what he said was a grave threat to Russia from potential Ukrainian membership of NATO.

Ukraine and its Western backers, led by the US, said the invasion was an imperial-style land grab and vowed to defeat Russian forces.

Moscow controls a chunk of Ukraine about the size of the American state of Virginia and is advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion.

Trump, author of the 1987 book "Trump: the Art of the Deal", has repeatedly said he wants to end the war and that he will meet Putin to discuss it, though the date or venue for a summit is still not publicly known.

On June 14, Putin set out his opening terms for an immediate end to the war: Ukraine must drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed and mostly controlled by Russia.

The media reported in November that Putin is open to discussing a Ukraine peace deal with Trump but rules out making any major territorial concessions and insists Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO.

The Kremlin has repeatedly urged caution over speculation about contacts with the Trump team over a possible peace deal.

Putin last spoke to former US President Joe Biden in February 2022, shortly before Putin ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine. The two leaders spoke for about an hour then, the Kremlin said.

On Friday, Trump said he would probably meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week to discuss ending the war.

Trump told the New York Post that he has "always had a good relationship with Putin" and that he has a concrete plan to end the war. But he did not disclose further details.

"I hope it's fast," Trump said.

"Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing."

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