U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed that negotiators working to end the Russia-Ukraine war have been discussing the division of certain assets as part of peace talks. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump announced plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, hinting that progress had been made over the weekend.
“We’re doing pretty well, I think, with Russia. We’ll see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday,” Trump said while returning to the White House from Mar-a-Lago. “A lot of work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance.”
The U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine has accepted, now awaits a response from Russia. As negotiations continue, Trump highlighted key discussion points, including territorial adjustments and control over power plants. “We’ll be talking about land. A lot of land is a lot different than it was before the war. We’ll be talking about power plants—that’s a big question,” he stated.
While Ukraine has lost approximately 11% of its land since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, territorial concessions remain a contentious issue. American officials have indicated that some land may need to be ceded to secure peace, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently opposed any such concessions. European leaders have also expressed concerns that rewarding Russia with territorial gains could set a dangerous precedent.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, described the ongoing discussions as productive but did not clarify how the issue of territorial concessions would be resolved. He stated that Putin “accepts the philosophy of President Trump” in working toward an end to the war, expressing optimism that a ceasefire could be reached within weeks.
Putin, while acknowledging the U.S.-led ceasefire proposal in principle, has outlined stringent conditions and reiterated his belief that Ukraine’s leadership played a role in triggering the conflict. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has confirmed that U.S. negotiators are set to travel to Russia for further talks, though details remain undisclosed.
As diplomatic efforts continue, Trump’s approach to the negotiations, including his willingness to engage Putin directly, has raised concerns among NATO allies. European leaders worry that U.S. security guarantees may no longer be as reliable, particularly given Trump’s past criticisms of NATO.
With discussions intensifying, all eyes are on Tuesday’s conversation between Trump and Putin, which could mark a significant step toward resolving the conflict.
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