President Trump announced his intention to engage in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin about terminating the conflict in Ukraine following productive talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Moscow. During a flight back to Washington from Florida, Trump informed reporters on Air Force One that efforts had progressed during the weekend in preparation for the scheduled discussion on Tuesday.
Emphasizing the goal of ending the war, Trump expressed optimism about the possibility of bringing the conflict to a resolution. Regarding the proposed 30-day ceasefire accepted by Ukraine, Trump is seeking Putin's endorsement. Amid ongoing heavy aerial exchanges and Russia's advancement towards displacing Ukrainian forces in Kursk, the talks revolve around potential concessions in the negotiations, touching upon issues like land and power plants.
Highlighting progress made during the weekend, Trump underlined discussions surrounding asset distribution between Ukraine and Russia. The President returned to Washington in the early hours of Monday after spending the weekend in Florida. Trump, whose foreign policy approach has shifted towards Moscow, has acknowledged the challenges in dealing with Ukraine compared to Russia.
Ukraine's willingness to embrace a ceasefire has raised expectations for Russia to accommodate Trump's requests, testing the president's evolving view of Putin and his strategy to resolve the conflict that arose from Russia's invasion of Ukraine three years ago.