Donald Trump has announced plans to engage in a conversation with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, as military leaders gear up for peacekeeping discussions in London.
The call, announced by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, comes amid Putin’s ongoing resistance to a US-supported proposal of a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
Despite Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accepting the proposed unconditional ceasefire, Putin insists that Ukraine must abandon its NATO aspirations and surrender territory to Russia before any halt in hostilities. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has accused Putin of attempting to “delay” a ceasefire, while French president Emmanuel Macron believes the Russian leader “does not seem to be sincerely seeking peace”. However, on Sunday, Witkoff maintained that Putin was making “a constructive effort,” and the forthcoming call with Trump indicated “positive momentum.”
En route from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening, Trump informed reporters that his discussion with Putin aims to conclude the conflict.
He stated: “We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday,” and “A lot of work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.”
Trump also mentioned that “dividing up certain assets” would be part of the dialogue about ending the war, adding: “We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants.”
In a separate development, top military officials from the “coalition of the willing” formed by Sir Keir and Mr Macron are set to convene in London on Thursday to discuss proposals for a Western peacekeeping force to be deployed in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
Following a virtual meeting on Saturday with leaders from 26 nations, as well as representatives from the EU and Nato, the Prime Minister announced that “new commitments” had been made, and planning would now enter an “operational phase”.
However, it remains unclear which countries have pledged troops to a peacekeeping operation, with several nations suggesting that such discussions are premature given the absence of a ceasefire.
Mr Putin is likely to oppose any agreement involving the deployment of European or Nato troops in Ukraine, whereas Mr Zelensky views this as crucial to deterring future Russian aggression.
Meanwhile, the conflict persists, with Ukraine reportedly facing growing pressure in the eastern Donetsk region, which has been partially under Russian control since 2014.
Ukrainian forces are also said to be retreating in the Kursk region of Russia, which they captured in a surprise attack in August in an effort to secure a bargaining chip for future negotiations.
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