WASHINGTON: Former President Donald Trump announced that he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about ending the war in Ukraine, with discussions expected to focus on territorial concessions by Kyiv and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
"We want to see if we can bring that war to an end," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington from Florida. "Maybe we can, maybe we can't, but I think we have a very good chance. A lot of work has been done over the weekend."
Trump is seeking Putin’s support for a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week. Meanwhile, fighting has continued, with both sides exchanging heavy airstrikes over the weekend and Russian forces advancing against Ukrainian troops in the western Russian region of Kursk.
When asked about possible concessions, Trump stated, "We'll be talking about land. We'll be talking about power plants… We're already discussing dividing up certain assets." While he did not provide further details, his remarks likely referred to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility, Europe's largest.
Kremlin Confirms Planned Talks
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Putin's scheduled conversation with Trump but declined to comment on potential territorial negotiations. The Kremlin previously stated that Putin had sent Trump a message regarding the ceasefire plan via U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who held talks in Moscow. Putin reportedly expressed "cautious optimism" about reaching a resolution.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz acknowledged ongoing challenges in securing Russia’s agreement to the ceasefire.
Russia Seeks ‘Ironclad’ Guarantees
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope that the ceasefire proposal could help end the war. However, he has repeatedly asserted that Ukraine’s sovereignty is non-negotiable and that Russia must return all occupied territories. Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and currently controls large portions of four eastern Ukrainian regions since its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Russian media outlet Izvestia on Monday that Moscow will demand “ironclad” security guarantees as part of any peace deal. These guarantees would include barring Ukraine from NATO membership and ensuring the country’s neutrality. His remarks made no reference to the ceasefire proposal.
Britain and France have stated they are prepared to send a peacekeeping force to monitor any potential truce in Ukraine.
