Kremlin does not rule out Putin-Trump contacts before US president-elect's inauguration

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out the possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking with US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration.

During a press briefing in Moscow on Thursday, Peskov noted that Trump had previously expressed his intention to call Putin before officially taking office.

"Communication is not excluded. He (Trump) said he would call Putin before the inauguration. These are his words… we have nothing more to add at this point," Peskov stated.

The US presidential inauguration is scheduled for January 20, 2025.

When asked if high-level contacts between Russia and the US would begin with a face-to-face meeting, Peskov explained that such encounters require thorough preparation at the expert level.

In response to media reports that Putin had congratulated Trump unofficially through intermediaries, Peskov dismissed this as “inaccurate information,” adding that neither representatives from the Russian presidential administration nor the Foreign Ministry had contacted Trump’s team in recent days.

When asked about Russia’s potential attendance at Trump’s inauguration, he said the decision on who to invite rests with the US presidential administration.

The Kremlin spokesman also noted that communication with the outgoing Biden administration is limited to technical channels, adding, "We are not working substantively with the Biden administration. Only minimal channels for technical communication remain."

Regarding reports of a Ukraine settlement plan allegedly drafted by Trump’s team, Peskov described the details as "abstract in nature."