US President Donald Trump plans to speak to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. This comes after positive talks between US and Russian officials in Moscow regarding a 30-day ceasefire deal.
“I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday,” Trump said on Sunday. “A lot of work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end,” according to The Associated Press (AP).
Any such conversation could mark a pivotal moment in the conflict, potentially allowing Trump to reshape US foreign policy.
The US President is trying to win Putin’s backing for a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week, putting the onus on Russia. Even though both sides have continued heavy aerial strikes over the weekend, the Russian forces are reportedly advancing toward expelling Ukrainian troops from their months-old foothold in Russia’s western Kursk region.
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European Allies Remain Cautious
According to Reuters, what concessions are being considered in the ceasefire negotiations, the US President said, “We’ll be talking about land. We’ll be talking about power plants”, then added, “I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides, Ukraine and Russia. We’re already talking about that, dividing up certain assets.”
European allies remain cautious about Trump’s close ties with Putin and his tough stance on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who faced strong criticism during his recent Oval Office visit.
Although Russia’s initial attempt to overthrow Ukraine during its invasion three years ago was unsuccessful, it continues to hold significant portions of Ukrainian territory.
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