INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
United States President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and advised him not to escalate the Ukraine war, a
source familiar with the conversation told Reuters on Sunday, as President Joe Biden plans to urge Trump not to abandon Kyiv, Reuters
reported.Trump and Putin spoke in recent days, said the source
Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday
Trump has criticised the scale of United States military and financial support for Kyiv, vowing to end the war quickly, without saying
how.Ukraine&s foreign ministry said it was not informed in advance of the call between Trump and Putin and subsequently could neither
endorse or object to it.We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders,& said Steven Cheung, Trump&s
communications director, when asked about the phone call, which was first reported by The Washington Post.The Russian embassy in Washington
did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Republican Trump will take office on Jan
20 after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov
Biden has invited Trump to come to the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said.United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan
said on Sunday that Biden&s top message will be his commitment to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, and he will also talk to Trump about
what&s happening in Europe, in Asia and the Middle East.President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to
the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine
means more instability in Europe,& Sullivan told CBS News& &Face the Nation& show.Sullivan&s comments came as Ukraine attacked Moscow on
Sunday with at least 34 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the beginning of the war.When asked if Biden would ask
Congress to pass legislation to authorize more funding for Ukraine, Sullivan deferred.I&m not here to put forward a specific legislative
President Biden will make the case that we do need ongoing resources for Ukraine beyond the end of his term,& Sullivan said.Washington has
provided tens of billions of dollars worth of United States military and economic aid to Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia in February
of 2022, funding that Trump has repeatedly criticized and rallied against with other Republican lawmakers, read the report.Trump insisted
last year that Putin never would have invaded Ukraine if he had been in the White House at the time
He told Reuters Ukraine may have to cede territory to reach a peace agreement, something the Ukrainians reject and Biden has never
suggested.Zelenskiy said on Thursday he was not aware of any details of Trump&s plan to end the Ukraine war quickly and that he was
convinced a rapid end would entail major concessions for Kyiv.According to the Government Accountability Office, Congress appropriated over
$174 billion to Ukraine under Biden
The pace of the aid is almost sure to drop under Trump with Republicans set to take control of the United States Senate with a 52-seat
majority.Control of the United States House of Representatives in the next Congress is not yet clear with some votes still being counted
Republicans have won 213 seats, according to Edison Research, just shy of the 218 needed for a majority
If Republicans win both chambers, it will mean the majority of Trump&s agenda will have a significantly easier time passing through
Congress, Reuters reported.Republican United States Senator Bill Hagerty, a Trump ally who is considered a top contender for secretary of
state, criticized United States funding for Ukraine in a CBS interview.The American people want sovereignty protected here in America
before we spend our funds and resources protecting the sovereignty of another nation,& Hagerty said.The 2-1/2-year-old war in Ukraine is
entering what some officials say could be its final act after Moscow&s forces advanced at the fastest pace since the early days of the
war.Any fresh attempt to end the war is likely to involve peace talks of some kind, which have not been held since the early months of the
war.Moscow&s forces occupy around a fifth of Ukraine
Russia says the war cannot end until its claimed annexations are recognized
Kyiv demands all of its territory back, a position that has largely been supported by Western allies.The post Trump, Putin speak as Biden
plans to lobby Trump to stick with Ukraine first appeared on Ariana News.
