The Kremlin confirmed on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will speak on the phone on Tuesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “That is indeed the case. There is such a conversation being prepared for Tuesday.” American President Trump also told reporters earlier that “a lot of work” had been done between the two sides on settling the Ukraine conflict and that he would speak to Putin on Tuesday.
“I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides. We’re already talking about that [with Ukraine and Russia] dividing up certain assets,” Trump said.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One late on Sunday night, he also said, “We’re doing pretty well, I think, with Russia. We’ll see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I’ll be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday.”
The statements come after the US and G7 partners warned Russia on Friday that sanctions could be expanded, and frozen Russian assets could be used to support Ukraine. The White House is working to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire.
A conversation between Trump and Putin could be an important moment in the conflict and a chance for Trump to further shape US foreign policy. However, European allies remain cautious about Trump’s approach to Putin and his tough stance on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who faced criticism during his visit to the Oval Office over two weeks ago.
Russia did not achieve its initial objective of overrunning Ukraine when it invaded three years ago, but it continues to control significant parts of the country.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow last week to present details of a joint US-Ukrainian ceasefire plan, which includes a 30-day pause in fighting.
Ukraine has accepted a 30-day truce, but Russia has not agreed immediately. Last week, Putin said any ceasefire must lead to a final settlement that addresses the reasons for the conflict.
