U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to engage in a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, aiming to secure Putin’s endorsement of a proposal to end the ongoing invasion that began in February 2022. Trump communicated his intentions to reporters while aboard Air Force One, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming dialogue.
“A lot of work’s been done over the weekend,” Trump remarked on Sunday evening. “We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance,” he added, indicating a sense of optimism regarding the prospects of achieving peace.
Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire
This announcement follows a recent trip by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, who visited Moscow last week to engage directly with Putin in negotiations. Earlier, Ukraine had expressed its willingness to entertain the Trump administration’s proposal for a 30-day pause in hostilities, contingent upon Russia’s agreement to do the same. Although Putin has publicly stated his support for a ceasefire, he has also outlined a series of conditions and delays that could complicate the situation.
When asked about the possible concessions that may arise during his call with Putin, Trump stated: “We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants … we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides, Ukraine and Russia. We are already talking about that, dividing up certain assets.” This assertion reflects the complexity of the negotiations and the delicate balance of interests involved in the conflict.
International diplomatic efforts
In a related development, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday, focusing on the “next steps” regarding the ceasefire proposal for Ukraine. This ongoing dialogue highlights the international community’s engagement in seeking a resolution to the conflict.
This story is currently being updated as more details emerge.