MOSCOW – Russia has dismissed US media reports that Donald Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin on the phone about the war in Ukraine after his election victory.

The Washington Post first reported that US President-elect Trump asked the Russian president not to escalate the war in Ukraine. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, said that the fact that even major media outlets are not spreading such stories is an indication of the quality of information being published today.

The Washington Post newspaper quoted a former government official as saying that Trump called Putin from his residence in Florida. The advice to Putin was a reminder of the US military presence in Europe. The report also stated that Trump is looking for peace opportunities in Europe before taking office on January 20.