Ukraine-Russia latest: Trump ‘to call Putin’ as Biden plans final surge in military aid to Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Donald Trump, who will return to the White House, and urged the Republican to keep supporting Kyiv against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
With concerns rising that support for Ukraine could diminish under a second Trump administration, Mr Zelensky praised Mr Trump’s “peace through strength” philosophy, calling it t a just peace for Ukraine. Mr Trump has said he would look to end the Ukraine war as soon as possible, with Kyiv wary that he will push for it to give up territory to Moscow.
The Kremlin, in contrast, has reacted cautiously to Mr Trump’s victory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has “no illusions” about the new Republican president, adding that the US remains an “unfriendly” country directly involved in the war against Russia.
“We have repeatedly said that the U.S. is able to contribute to the end of this conflict. Will this happen, and if so, how … we will see after [Mr Trump’s inauguration] January.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine has reported “small-scale” clashes with North Korean troops in Kursk, marking their first battlefield confrontation with Kim Jong Un’s soldiers, defence minister Rustem Umerov said.
