Trump and Putin to discuss Ukraine conflict in 2-hour call
A phone conversation scheduled for today between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to last two hours, the Kremlin has announced.
The two leaders are set to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the "normalization" of the U.S.-Russia relations, according to Reuters.
Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated during a briefing that the call will take place from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Moscow time. Trump aims to persuade Putin to accept his proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. Last week, Putin expressed willingness to address the concerns surrounding the 30-day ceasefire proposal, which Kiev has already agreed to.
Initial News
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he will have a phone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, March 18, to discuss a potential peace agreement for Ukraine. According to Trump, several elements of an agreement have already been established, though many details remain to be clarified, as reported by DW. "Tomorrow morning (Washington time), I will speak with President Putin about the war in Ukraine. Many aspects of a final agreement have been set, but we still have much work to do," Trump posted on his Truth Social account.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov confirmed preparations for this conversation but declined to provide details on the topics to be discussed. According to sources cited by CNN and AP, the talks could involve the delineation of territories and control over energy infrastructure, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which is currently under Russian occupation.
The U.S. publication Semafor reports that the Trump administration is considering recognizing Crimea as part of Russia within the framework of a potential peace agreement. Furthermore, the White House might request the United Nations to follow suit. However, sources highlight that this option is merely one of the possibilities being considered, and no final decision has been made.
At the same time, the Trump administration is discussing access to ports in the Black Sea, said Steve Witkoff, the former president's special envoy, in an interview with CBS.
Ukraine sets "red lines" for negotiations
The Ukrainian government has established several "red lines" for any negotiations with Russia, according to The Independent, citing Ukrainian government sources. Among these is the refusal to cede additional territories to Russia, as Moscow insists on the complete annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
"It is unreasonable to ask for the complete surrender of territories such as Zaporizhzhia or Kherson. This is absurd," said Ukrainian officials, adding that they will continue diplomatic efforts to reclaim the territories occupied by Russia since February 2022.
On March 11, Ukraine and the U.S. reached an agreement during talks in Saudi Arabia. Kiev accepted the 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington, including along the front line. In return, the U.S. agreed to resume military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, which had been suspended following a dispute between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office at the end of February.
Following the Saudi talks, a U.S. delegation traveled to Moscow to negotiate a possible ceasefire with Russia, which invaded its neighboring country three years ago.
On the evening of March 13, two days after the Kiev-Washington talks, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin announced his agreement to a ceasefire in Ukraine, but with certain conditions. Putin expressed particular concern that the Ukrainian army could use this "respite" to rebuild its combat capacity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Putin's statements, labeling them as "manipulative." Zelensky also accused Putin of attempting to delay the response in order to continue the war. In this context, the Kiev leader called for increased pressure on Moscow.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
