CNN: Trump to call Putin after inauguration in bid to tackle Ukraine crisis

US President-elect Donald Trump has directed his aides to organize a post-inauguration phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the possibility of a personal meeting focused on addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine.

While the exact date of the conversation has not been finalized, the anticipated discussion underscores Trump's intention to prioritize foreign policy engagements early in his term, Caliber.Az reports per CNN.

Earlier this month, Mike Waltz, Trump’s incoming National Security Advisor, indicated that such a conversation between the two leaders was likely in the coming weeks.

Trump, who will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, returns to the White House following a historic political comeback. He defeated incumbent Kamala Harris in November’s election, securing a second, nonconsecutive term after losing to Joe Biden in 2020. Trump previously served as president from 2017 to 2021.

The inauguration ceremony, typically held outdoors, will instead take place inside the US Capitol Rotunda due to forecasts of dangerously cold weather in Washington. The move marks the first indoor inauguration since Ronald Reagan’s second term in 1985. Thousands of ticket holders who planned to attend the event on Capitol grounds will now be unable to do so due to limited indoor capacity.

Trump has urged supporters to gather instead at Washington’s Capital One Arena, where a live viewing of the ceremony will be held. He announced plans to visit the arena following the Capitol inauguration to address his supporters directly.

The planned call with Putin signals a potentially pivotal moment for US-Russia relations, as both leaders seek to navigate their countries’ roles in resolving global challenges. Whether this will lead to substantive diplomatic progress remains to be seen.

By Aghakazim Guliyev