WASHINGTON. U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in what could be a crucial moment in efforts to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. The conversation also presents an opportunity for Trump to further shape American foreign policy.
Trump revealed the planned discussion to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening while traveling from Florida to Washington. The Kremlin confirmed Putin’s participation on Monday morning.
“We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday,” Trump stated. “A lot of work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the upcoming discussion but refrained from providing details, stating, “We never get ahead of events” and emphasizing that “the content of conversations between two presidents are not subject to any prior discussion.”
Trump’s approach to Russia and his firm stance toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have raised concerns among European allies. Zelenskyy faced sharp criticism during his visit to the Oval Office just over two weeks ago.
Despite Russia’s failure to overthrow the Ukrainian government following its full-scale invasion three years ago, Moscow still controls significant portions of the country. The Kremlin’s illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—following the 2022 invasion remains a contentious issue, as Russia does not fully control any of these territories.
Additionally, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, remains under Russian control. The facility has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire, prompting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to express continued concerns over a potential nuclear catastrophe.
Trump signaled that discussions would involve territorial matters and energy infrastructure. “We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants,” he said, describing the process as “dividing up certain assets.”
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, visited Moscow last week in an effort to advance negotiations. Meanwhile, Putin has previously demanded that Kyiv withdraw troops from the annexed regions as a condition for peace.
Amid growing speculation about his rapport with the Russian leader, Trump’s ties to Putin were highlighted in an interview with U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on India’s NDTV. Gabbard remarked that Trump and Putin “are very good friends” and are focused on strengthening bilateral ties.
“We have two leaders of two great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and shared interests,” Gabbard stated in the interview, excerpts of which were released Monday ahead of its full broadcast.
While pursuing peace talks with Russia, Trump is simultaneously pushing forward with his economic policies. He reaffirmed his commitment to imposing tariffs on April 2, despite market disruptions and economic concerns.
“April 2 is a liberating day for our country,” he declared. “We’re getting back some of the wealth that very, very foolish presidents gave away because they had no clue what they were doing.”
Although Trump has previously adjusted tariff plans, such as in negotiations with Mexico, he stated that he intends to stay firm on the upcoming trade measures. “They charge us and we charge them,” he said. “Then in addition to that, on autos, on steel, on aluminum, we’re going to have some additional tariffs.”
As Trump and Putin prepare for their high-stakes conversation, global leaders remain watchful of what could be a defining moment in the conflict and in U.S.-Russia relations.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
