Vladimir Putin has finally responded to the international claims he spoke to Donald Trump on multiple occasions after the latter left the Oval Office.
Journalist Bob Woodward claimed in his new book War that, according to a former White House aide, “there have been multiple phone calls between Trump and Putin, maybe as many as seven in the period since Trump left the White House in 2021”.
Trump’s campaign said the claims were completely fabricated. His spokesperson replied: “None of these made up stories by Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Putin has just replied to Woodward’s claim, which were first reported on October 8, today.
Responding to a reporter’s question at the BRICS conference in Kazan, the Russian president said: “It’s nonsense.”
He continued: “But when Trump says that he wants to put an end to the war in Ukraine, I think that he is sincere.”
The former US president has sparked concerns among Western officials over his stance towards the conflict.
He has repeatedly said he wants the war to end but has refused to say who he wants to win, suggesting he may force Ukraine to cede land to Moscow.
Putin did use the press conference to confirm that he is in contact with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, over potentially deploying troops to fight alongside Russia.
Alluding to his defence pact with Pyongyang, he said: “We ratified the treaty on strategic partnership which contains Article 4 and we have never shied away from the fact that North Korea is serious about its commitment to us.
“It’s up to us how we implement Article 4. We are in contact with our North Korean partners.”
According to The Telegraph, he also chuckled when asked about troops already being deployed to fight in Russia, before adding: “The satellite images you spoke of, this is a serious allegation.
“It means that something is happening, but let me tell you one thing, it wasn’t the actions of Russia that led to the escalation in Ukraine.”
It’s widely believed that Moscow invaded Ukraine and tried to seize Kyiv in 2022 in a land grab, although Putin blames NATO’s eastward expansion.