- Trump to speak with Putin about ending the Ukraine war
- Peace talks focus on land and power plants
- Trump confirms April 2 tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, a conversation that could mark a pivotal moment in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, while also offering Trump an opportunity to continue reshaping U.S. foreign policy.
Trump revealed the upcoming discussion to reporters on Sunday evening as he flew from Florida to Washington aboard Air Force One, with the Kremlin confirming Putin’s participation on Monday morning.
“We’ll see if there’s anything to announce by Tuesday. I’ll be speaking to President Putin then,” Trump said. “A lot of work has been done over the weekend, and we want to see if we can bring an end to the war.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the plans for the call but did not provide further details, stating, “We never get ahead of events,” and that “the content of conversations between the two presidents is not subject to prior discussion.”
European allies remain cautious about Trump’s relationship with Putin and his tough stance on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who faced harsh criticism from Trump during a visit to the Oval Office just over two weeks ago.
Though Russia failed to achieve its initial goal of overthrowing Ukraine with its invasion three years ago, it continues to control large parts of the country.
Trump said that issues regarding land and power plants are part of the ongoing discussions about ending the conflict.
“We’ll be talking about land. We’ll be talking about power plants,” Trump explained, describing the process as “dividing up certain assets.”
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, visited Moscow last week to further negotiations.
In 2022, Russia unlawfully annexed four Ukrainian regions—Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the southeast—though it does not have full control over any of them. Last year, Putin demanded Ukraine withdraw its troops from these areas as a condition for peace.
In 2014, Russia also annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, Moscow controls the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest, which has been repeatedly caught in crossfire since the invasion. The International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed concerns about the plant, fearing a potential nuclear disaster.
On Air Force One, Trump also reaffirmed his plans to impose tariffs starting April 2, despite recent disruptions in the stock market and concerns over their economic impact.
“April 2 is a liberating day for our country,” Trump said. “We’re bringing back some of the wealth that previous, very foolish presidents gave away because they didn’t know what they were doing.”
While Trump has adjusted some tariff plans in the past, such as those involving Mexico, he emphasized that he has no intention of backing down on reciprocal tariffs.
“They charge us, and we charge them,” Trump said. “In addition, we’re going to impose additional tariffs on autos, steel, and aluminum.”
