'Pure Fiction': Russia Denies US Media Report On Phone Call Between Trump, Putin

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Russia on Monday denied reports from US media claiming that President-elect Donald Trump had spoken by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his election victory last week. “There was no conversation... This is completely untrue, it is pure fiction,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated during a daily press briefing in Moscow.

The Russian President’s Press Secretary questioned the credibility of the US media publications that reported the alleged conversation, earlier in the day. "This (shows) the most obvious example of the quality of the information that is now being published, sometimes even in fairly respected publications," Peskov remarked, as quoted by Russia's Tass news agency.

Washington Post had reported late Sunday that Trump had phoned Putin from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, marking what was supposedly his first call to the Russian leader after his decisive win over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. The report claimed that during the conversation, Trump had urged Putin to avoid any escalation in the ongoing Ukraine conflict and expressed interest in further discussions with Moscow to ease tensions and end the war.

The US publication also suggested that Trump highlighted the substantial American military presence in Europe, implying his intention to leverage this influence in resolving the Ukraine crisis. The report echoed Trump’s campaign pledge to end the war, a promise that resonated strongly with his supporters.

The alleged call reportedly left Ukrainian officials surprised, with Kyiv stating they had no prior knowledge of any Trump-Putin communication.

However, Russia has firmly dismissed these claims, casting doubt on the reliability of the information presented by American media. The Kremlin’s refutation underscores the uncertainty surrounding Trump's approach to US-Russia relations and his role in the Ukraine conflict as he prepares to take office.