President Donald Trump is set to hold a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, a discussion that could mark a turning point in efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine while also allowing Trump to further shape the direction of U.S. foreign policy.
Trump revealed the planned call to reporters on Sunday night as he traveled aboard Air Force One from Florida to Washington. The Kremlin later confirmed on Monday morning that Putin would be taking part in the discussion.
“We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday,” Trump said. “A lot of work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.”
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, affirmed the planned conversation but refrained from offering specifics. “We never get ahead of events,” he stated. “The content of conversations between two presidents are not subject to any prior discussion.”
Trump’s rapport with Putin and his tough stance on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have caused unease among European allies. Zelenskyy, who visited the White House a little over two weeks ago, was met with strong criticism from Trump.
Although Russia was unable to achieve its initial goal of overthrowing Ukraine when it launched its invasion three years ago, Moscow continues to control significant portions of Ukrainian territory.
Trump indicated that key aspects of the discussions would include territorial matters and energy infrastructure. “We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants,” he said, referring to what he called a process of “dividing up certain assets.”
Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for Trump, traveled to Moscow last week in an effort to advance peace negotiations.
Following its 2022 full-scale invasion, Russia unilaterally annexed four Ukrainian regions—Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, along with Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the southeast. Despite these claims, Moscow does not have full control over any of the four territories. Last year, Putin stipulated that Kyiv must withdraw from these areas as a condition for peace.
Additionally, in 2014, Russia forcibly seized Crimea from Ukraine, a move that remains a major point of contention.
One of the most strategically significant sites under Russian occupation is the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest facility of its kind in Europe. The site, located in the occupied portion of Zaporizhzhia, has repeatedly been at risk due to ongoing military clashes. The International Atomic Energy Agency, a U.N. agency, has consistently raised concerns about the potential for a nuclear disaster at the facility.
During his discussion with reporters on Air Force One, Trump reiterated his commitment to implementing tariffs starting on April 2, despite recent market instability and growing economic apprehension.
“April 2 is a liberating day for our country,” he said. “We’re getting back some of the wealth that very, very foolish presidents gave away because they had no clue what they were doing.”
While Trump has in the past adjusted his approach to tariffs, as seen in his dealings with Mexico, he emphasized that he had no intention of reversing course in this case.
“They charge us and we charge them,” he stated. “Then in addition to that, on autos, on steel, on aluminum, we’re going to have some additional tariffs.”
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