Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, during a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump on October 16, convinced the American leader not to approve the provision of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reported this on November 25, citing American officials, writes UNN.
Details
According to the publication, last month, US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff, during a phone conversation with Russian dictator's aide Yuri Ushakov, suggested that Putin call Trump before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the White House on October 17. Zelenskyy went to Washington hoping that Trump would approve the transfer of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, which would allow Kyiv to strike deep into Russian territories.
But during a phone call on October 16, Putin warned Trump that the delivery of Tomahawks would escalate the war and harm relations between the US and Russia.
According to American officials, although Trump had previously expressed concerns about the depletion of these missile stockpiles in the US, the conversation with Putin convinced him not to support the delivery of Tomahawks to Ukraine.
Bloomberg News also reported on Tuesday that during Witkoff's phone conversation with Ushakov, the US President's envoy advised the Russian dictator's aide on how best to present Russia's proposals for a "peace agreement" to Donald Trump. According to Bloomberg, in a conversation with Ushakov, Witkoff hinted that Ukraine should give up the entire Donetsk region. "Now, between us, I know what it takes to make a peace deal: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere," Witkoff told Ushakov, according to the Bloomberg transcript.
Recall
It was previously reported that US President Donald Trump stated that he is not currently considering the possibility of transferring Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. He also noted that the conflict is not yet over and the parties will have to continue fighting.