In a high-stakes diplomatic maneuver, US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to hold a crucial phone call on Tuesday evening between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm to negotiate a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. Reports suggest that Putin is likely to demand an immediate halt to all Western arms shipments to Ukraine as a key condition for ending hostilities.
Trump, who has been vocal about his efforts to broker peace, announced the call on Monday via his social media platform, Truth Social.
“Tomorrow morning I will be speaking to President Putin concerning the War in Ukraine. Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains. Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths, from both sides, and it must end NOW. I look very much forward to the call with President Putin,” Trump posted.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the leaders will discuss a wide range of issues, including the Ukraine conflict and the broader normalisation of Russia-US ties.
“There is a large number of issues from the normalisation of our relations and the Ukrainian issue, all of which the two presidents will discuss,” Peskov was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
In what could be a game-changer, Trump has hinted at pressuring Ukraine to cede significant territories to Russia as part of a peace settlement. “I think we’ll be talking about land, it’s a lot of land,” Trump said on Sunday, adding, “It’s a lot different than it was before the war, as you know. We’ll be talking about land.”
Trump’s remarks have sparked alarm in Kyiv, with Ukrainian officials fearing that any land concession would solidify Russian control over occupied territories, including Crimea and parts of Donbas.
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Trump additionally mentioned discussions around “power plants,” which is believed to be a reference to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and currently under Russian control.
Further complicating matters, US-based news outlet Semafor reported Monday that the White House is considering officially recognising Crimea – annexed by Russia in 2014 – as Russian territory as part of a potential peace deal. Washington is also allegedly exploring options to pressure the United Nations to formalise this recognition.