The Biden administration has "serious concerns" about reports that former U.S. President Donald Trump held secret phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, White House press secretary and senior adviser Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing on Oct. 9.
Putin and Trump spoke up to seven times after the latter left office in 2020, The New York Times (NYT) reported on Oct. 8, citing a book by journalist Bob Woodward.
The two allegedly spoke even as Trump was reportedly pressuring Republicans to block the $60 billion aid package for Kyiv.
"Do we have serious concerns? Yes, if it is true," Jean-Pierre said on Oct. 9, noting that she could not confirm that any of the calls took place.
"Let's not forget, it is concerning, especially when we know the former president was lobbying against more aid for Ukraine — to Ukraine to defend themselves against Russia's aggression," she said.
As Trump seeks re-election this November, his views on Ukraine continue to divide Republicans and alarm Ukraine's allies. Trump has criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky for failing to 'make a deal' with Russia and has refused to say outright that he supports a Ukrainian victory.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump's opponent in the upcoming vote, has lambasted Trump for his admiration of Putin and other dictators.
Woodward's book, "War," alleges that in early 2024, Trump ordered an aide out of his office at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to hold a phone call with Putin.
Trump also allegedly secretly sent Putin COVID-19 test devices for personal use at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. In a phone conversation with Trump, the Russian president asked his U.S. counterpart not to publicly disclose this information.
"I don't want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me," Putin told Trump, according to the book.
The Trump campaign has denied the reports, calling them "made up."
While Jean-Pierre did not confirm the calls, she said that such conversations would pose a threat to Ukrainian and U.S. security.
"(I)f it is true, it is indeed concerning, because we're talking about our national security here," she said.
Owen Racer
(Updated: )
