Trump and Putin to Talk Ukraine Ceasefire as US Remains Hopeful

On Sunday, U.S. officials voiced hopeful expectations that a ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia could be achieved within a few weeks, as discussions between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are anticipated to cover potential terms for peace.

This week, the United States proposed a temporary ceasefire in the ongoing three-year conflict, a proposal that Ukraine has accepted. Washington, alongside its European allies, is urging Moscow to respond positively as well.

However, Putin has not committed to the idea, citing numerous conditions while expressing “serious concerns” regarding the proposal.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for the situation, recently met with Putin for several hours and conveyed to CNN that he believes “the two leaders will have a fruitful conversation this week.” He added that Trump “genuinely anticipates reaching some sort of agreement in the near future.”

In a statement on Saturday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Kremlin of lacking interest in calling off the war. He suggested that Moscow intended to improve its military positioning before contemplating any ceasefire agreement.

Discussions Among Foreign Ministers

Earlier, it was reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss “specific elements of the agreements” made during a U.S.-Russia summit in Saudi Arabia the previous month.

The Riyadh meeting held in February was the first significant diplomatic encounter between the two nations following Russia’s invasion launched in February 2022.

The Russian foreign ministry noted that Rubio and Lavrov agreed to maintain communication, though there was no reference to the proposed ceasefire.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that the two officials had “talked about the upcoming measures” concerning Ukraine.

She confirmed that Rubio and Lavrov “agreed to keep working towards re-establishing dialogue between the United States and Russia.”

This call took place shortly after the UK hosted a virtual summit about Ukraine, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized Putin for “delaying” action on the ceasefire. “Russia’s ‘yes, but’ is simply not sufficient,” Starmer stated, urging for an end to the “barbaric assaults on Ukraine once and for all.”

On Sunday, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces had launched 90 Iranian-manufactured Shahed drones targeting nine regions across Ukraine.

Zelensky Claims Putin is Being Dishonest

In response to the ceasefire proposal earlier this week, Putin indicated that it would primarily benefit Ukraine as Russian forces are “making progress” in several areas, while expressing significant reservations about the initiative.

This proposal emerged as Russia maintains control over extensive territories in southern and eastern Ukraine and has gained ground in certain sectors.

Russian forces have also pushed back Ukrainian troops from parts of the Kursk region, which Kyiv aims to retain as a potential leverage point in upcoming negotiations.

Putin has expressed a desire to relay Moscow’s concerns to Trump during a phone call.

Zelensky asserted on Saturday that by refusing to accept the ceasefire, Putin is also opposing Trump—who has been open to improving relations with Russia—and accused Moscow of manipulating circumstances to prolong the conflict.

He described Putin as “dishonest” regarding claims that the ceasefire is overly complex.

Reports emerged on Sunday that a Russian drone strike in the city of Izyum—an area in the Kharkiv region that was initially captured by Russia at the onset of the invasion but later reclaimed by Ukrainian forces—resulted in one fatality.

Additionally, Zelensky announced that Andriy Gnatov has replaced Anatoliy Bargylevych as the chief of the general staff of the armed forces, with Gnatov tasked with enhancing the military’s operational efficiency.