LONDON — The Kremlin denied on Wednesday a report that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been in contact with former President Donald Trump since he left office.
“No, it’s not like that,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a Russian news outlet in response to a question about whether the two had shared phone calls.
Journalist Bob Woodward wrote about the alleged interactions between Trump and Putin in his soon-to-be released book, titled “War,” according to the Washington Post and CNN.
Woodward reportedly wrote that the pair shared “as many as seven” phone calls, a claim that Trump disputed on Tuesday.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Jonathan Karl, Kelsey Walsh, Soo Rin Kim and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.
The Kremlin has recently refuted claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been in communication with former US President Donald Trump since his departure from office. Speculation about a potential relationship between the two leaders has been circulating in the media, but Russian officials have denied any such interactions.
In a statement released by the Kremlin, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, “There have been no contacts between President Putin and former President Trump since he left office. Any reports suggesting otherwise are simply not true.” Peskov went on to emphasize that Putin and Trump have not had any discussions or exchanged any messages since Trump’s presidency ended.
The rumors of communication between Putin and Trump have raised concerns among political analysts and experts, who fear that the two leaders may be collaborating on various issues behind closed doors. However, the Kremlin’s denial of any contact between the two figures suggests that these speculations may be unfounded.
It is worth noting that Putin and Trump had a controversial relationship during Trump’s time in office, with the former US president often facing criticism for his friendly stance towards Russia. The allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials also cast a shadow over their interactions.
As both Putin and Trump navigate their post-presidential lives, it remains to be seen whether they will continue to have any form of communication in the future. For now, the Kremlin’s dismissal of claims of ongoing contact between the two leaders serves to quell any further speculation on the matter.
