WASHINGTON – Just two days after being elected, Donald Trump reportedly had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 7.

During the call, Trump advised Putin against escalating the conflict in Ukraine and reminded him of the United States’ military presence in Europe, as reported by The Washington Post, which cited several sources familiar with the exchange.

However, the Kremlin refuted the claims, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov calling it “pure fiction.”

Typically, the U.S. would record such calls, but this time, there is no documentation.

This lack of documentation arises because the State Department, which usually facilitates calls between incoming presidents and world leaders, was excluded from Trump’s communications with foreign officials.

As a result, these discussions were not conducted over secure lines, and there were no State Department personnel present to provide insights on foreign policy nuances, nor official interpreters to bridge any language gaps that might lead to miscommunications.

For foreign policy experts, Trump’s conversations with Putin and other leaders following his election win over Vice President Kamala Harris on November 5 raise significant concerns.

“We’re in a risky situation where Trump is having private chats with foreign leaders, leading to potentially conflicting reports between what they hear and what he tells our national security team,” commented Brett Bruen, a former diplomat who served under President Barack Obama.

Bruen emphasized that misunderstandings or differing interpretations from these private discussions could create confusion and potentially escalate into an international crisis.

Trump’s transition team did not respond to inquiries about the absence of State Department involvement in his communications with foreign leaders.

Distrust Towards the ‘Deep State’

After securing another presidential term, Trump waited three weeks to sign essential legal documents mandated for the transition from President Joe Biden’s administration. This delay in filing paperwork—usually done at least a month before elections—restricted the government’s ability to provide security clearances, information briefings, and necessary resources to Trump’s incoming team.

On Tuesday, Trump’s transition team stated it had finally signed one document, enabling access to confidential government information, obtaining briefings, and placing personnel within various federal agencies and departments it will soon manage. It remains uncertain whether Trump will involve the State Department in future discussions with foreign leaders.

Traditionally, the State Department has played a crucial role in coordinating communications between new presidents and foreign leaders to maintain a unified U.S. stance, especially during transitions, according to the nonpartisan Center for Presidential Transition.

However, since his first term, Trump has displayed a deep-seated mistrust and disdain towards what he refers to as the “Deep State,” alleging that government workers are quietly working to undermine his policies.

His skepticism intensified following a 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which Trump threatened to withhold U.S. aid unless Zelenskyy investigated then-former Vice President Biden and his son, Hunter. A summary of that conversation led to Trump’s first impeachment.

Trump has vowed to purge bureaucrats he perceives as hindrances to his agenda in his upcoming term.

‘Sensitive Talks’ with Global Leaders

Every president engages in discussions with international leaders soon after taking office, and not all of these conversations have coordinated input from the State Department. Notably, some of President Biden’s calls with foreign officials after the 2020 election lacked State Department officials’ presence due to Trump’s refusal to concede.

Within hours of his election triumph, Trump began receiving calls from various leaders, including Zelenskyy, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all of whom publicly confirmed their outreach to the president-elect. Two days later Following the election, Trump announced that he had already been in contact with over 70 global leaders.

Typically, interactions between a president-elect and a foreign leader involve simple congratulations and commitments for future cooperation. However, Trump’s discussions seem to have crossed the usual boundaries into policy matters.

On November 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X, stating he had spoken with Trump three times since the election. Netanyahu remarked, “We share a mutual understanding of the Iranian threat in all its forms, as well as the risks it poses. We also recognize the significant opportunities for Israel regarding peace initiatives and beyond.”

Trump’s suggestion to Putin about not escalating the conflict in Ukraine raised concerns, as federal law prohibits unauthorized Americans from mediating disputes between the U.S. and other nations.

“There can only be one foreign policy at a time,” warned Bruen. “Trump’s actions imply he is dictating how others should act, even before officially taking office when he has no control over U.S. foreign policy.”

Russia’s claim that the call never occurred highlights the complications arising from Trump’s private engagements with foreign leaders without involving the State Department or its professional interpreters, noted Fried, a fellow at the Atlantic Council with experience under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

“Someone isn’t being truthful,” Fried stated. “If Trump’s team had coordinated with the State Department, the Kremlin wouldn’t be able to deny the conversation took place without clear evidence to the contrary.”

Fried mentioned that private discussions with foreign officials might not always be conducted over secure lines, as some leaders may lack access to such technologies, making phone calls over unsecured channels worrisome.

“Most of our adversaries can intercept these calls, which is troubling, as it indicates that Russians could be listening to conversations with leaders from Europe and the Middle East, and the Chinese could access the same,” said Bruen. “These discussions are sensitive and reveal potential compromises or weaknesses.”

When Zelenskyy called Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to congratulate him on his election win, Trump handed the phone to Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and advisor who has been a prominent figure alongside Trump. Musk, a government contractor, has provided communication support to Ukraine via his Starlink satellite network during their conflict with Russia.

Musk also reportedly met with Iran’s ambassador to the U.S. on November 11 in an attempt to ease tensions between the two nations, though Iran later denied the meeting occurred.

Bruen expressed concern about Musk’s involvement in a private call with Zelenskyy, highlighting that “Musk has no official government role. He lacks a security clearance but has significant interests in Ukraine’s situation due to his business ventures there.”

Concerns about Trump’s interactions with foreign leaders are heightened by his previous handling of classified materials, according to Bruen.

Trump had previously suggested that his Democratic opponent in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton, should face imprisonment for her management of classified data. Fast forward seven years later, after leaving office, he was indicted on 40 counts concerning mishandled classified documents, some reportedly stored in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago. The special prosecutor, Jack Smith, ultimately halted the case after dismissing the charges.

Given Trump’s history, Bruen explained, his unsupervised dialogues with foreign leaders should raise alarms.

“It’s a chaotic situation,” he remarked.