Trump and Putin to Discuss Ukraine Ceasefire This Week

US President Donald Trump announced plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, revealing that discussions are already underway about “dividing up certain assets” between the warring parties.

US officials expressed optimism on Sunday that a ceasefire agreement could be reached in the coming weeks after Washington proposed a halt to the fighting, a proposal Kyiv accepted following talks in Saudi Arabia.

“We’ll be talking about land, we’ll be talking about power plants,” Trump stated while aboard Air Force One. “I think a lot of it has already been discussed by both sides—Ukraine and Russia. We’re already talking about dividing up certain assets.”

While Washington and Ukraine's European allies are pushing Moscow to accept the ceasefire proposal, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not provided a clear response, instead outlining a series of conditions and raising "serious questions" about the proposal.

Trump’s special envoy for the conflict, Steve Witkoff, who recently met with Putin for several hours, expressed confidence that the two leaders would have a productive discussion this week. “Trump really expects some sort of deal in the coming weeks, and I believe that's the case,” Witkoff said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, accused Moscow of not wanting to end the war. He warned that Russia intends to "improve their situation on the battlefield" before agreeing to any ceasefire.

Rubio, Lavrov Discuss Ukraine
Earlier, Moscow confirmed that US Senator Marco Rubio had spoken with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the “concrete aspects” of the understandings reached at the US-Russia summit in Saudi Arabia last month. The summit, held in February, marked the first high-level meeting between the two countries since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed the conversation, stating that the two leaders had agreed to continue working toward restoring communication between the United States and Russia. However, there was no mention of the proposed ceasefire.

The exchange between Rubio and Lavrov came just hours after a UK-hosted virtual summit on Ukraine, where UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Putin of “dragging his feet” on the ceasefire initiative. “The ‘yes, but’ from Russia is not good enough,” Starmer said, urging an end to the "barbaric attacks" on Ukraine.

Escalating Conflict
On Sunday, Kyiv reported that Moscow had launched 90 Iranian-made Shahed drones targeting nine Ukrainian regions. This follows Russia's recent military advancements, particularly in southern and eastern Ukraine, where it has made gains. Putin raised concerns over the ceasefire initiative, suggesting that it would primarily benefit Ukraine, as Russian forces are currently advancing in several areas.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has continued his diplomatic efforts, speaking with Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney. Zelenskyy called for intensified pressure on Moscow, including stronger sanctions, to force Putin into a “just and lasting peace.” Carney is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the coming days to discuss Ukraine.

In a related development, Zelenskyy announced the replacement of Ukraine’s chief of general staff, Anatoliy Bargylevych, with Andriy Gnatov, who has been tasked with improving the efficiency of Ukraine’s armed forces.

As both sides prepare for further talks, the international community continues to focus on the ongoing efforts to halt the devastating war in Ukraine.