Trump Announces Plans to Discuss Cease-Fire with Putin on Tuesday
Former President Donald Trump expressed optimism about the possibility of achieving a cease-fire agreement with Russia.
On Sunday, Trump announced that he plans to converse with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday regarding a cease-fire that could put an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
“I’ll be talking with President Putin on Tuesday,” Trump informed reporters while aboard Air Force One. “Significant progress has been made over the weekend. We aim to see if we can conclude that war.”
He stated that he sees a “very good chance” of establishing a cease-fire with Russia. When inquired about what concessions he anticipates from Russia in the peace negotiations, Trump indicated that the discussions would revolve around territories and power facilities.
“We’ll discuss land. We’ll discuss power plants,” he remarked. “I believe much of that has already been addressed by both parties, Ukraine and Russia. We are already engaged in discussions about the division of specific assets.”
Ukraine has consented to a 30-day cease-fire with Russia following discussions on March 11 between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In response, the United States has resumed supplying weapons and sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
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“We have reduced the differences between the two sides, and we are now at the negotiating table,” the envoy said, adding that Trump had been briefed about the meeting.
Witkoff pointed out that the four regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—partially occupied by Russian forces are “critical” in the negotiations.
He mentioned that the U.S. government is collaborating with officials from Ukraine and Russia, along with European stakeholders including France, Britain, Norway, and Finland, regarding those regions and other components that would be included in a cease-fire.
Witkoff refrained from disclosing Russia’s demands for progressing the cease-fire agreement.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexander Grushko, stated on Monday that Moscow will seek guarantees preventing NATO from allowing Kyiv to join the security alliance.
“We will insist that rock-solid security guarantees are included in this deal,” Grushko told the Russian media outlet Izvestia. “These guarantees should encompass Ukraine’s neutral status and the commitment from NATO countries not to incorporate it into the alliance.”
“Those who genuinely desire an end to the war do not act in this manner. Thus, we must collectively maintain pressure on Russia to bring its aggression to a close,” Zelenskyy remarked on social media, calling for the U.S. and European nations to take “decisive action” against Russia.
Additionally, Ukraine executed drone strikes on Russian territory over the weekend. The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday that its air defense units had intercepted 31 Ukrainian drones over Russian land.
Zelenskyy has previously maintained that any peace agreement must entail security assurances to protect Ukraine against possible future attacks from Russia.
Starmer made these comments after a summit with a “coalition of the willing,” featuring partners from Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Reuters contributed to this report.
