Trump to Test Deal-Making Skills in Call with Putin

• Ukraine has accepted a proposed 30-day truce put forth by the US.
• The US anticipates a commitment from Putin regarding the ceasefire proposal.
• “The worst-case scenario” is that Putin convinces Trump of a future deal, according to analysts.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump plans to communicate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, aiming to persuade him to agree to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and to work toward a long-term resolution to the war that has persisted for three years.

This significant call will test Trump’s alleged negotiation abilities and his controversial relationship with Putin, which has raised concerns among traditional US allies.

“Many aspects of a final agreement have been discussed, but a lot is still unresolved,” Trump noted in a social media message on Monday.

“Each week, we’re losing 2,500 soldiers from both sides, and this must stop NOW. I’m eagerly looking forward to the call with President Putin,” he added.

Ukraine, which Trump has remarked is more challenging than Russia to negotiate with, has agreed to the US’s 30-day truce proposal. This conflict began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“Last week, we received strong assurances from Ukraine,” stated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on “The Guy Benson Show” on Fox News radio on Monday.

“They consented to halt hostilities and keep the situation as is, so we can begin discussing how to end this conflict for good. Our next step is to secure a similar agreement from the Russians,” Rubio continued. “We’ll learn more after the president speaks with Putin. I hope it leads us to a better situation.”

Trump has suggested that elements of a lasting peace deal could include territorial adjustments from Ukraine and oversight of a nuclear power facility as part of the discussion.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently maintained that Ukraine’s sovereignty is not up for negotiation and that Russia must withdraw from the territories it has occupied. Since annexing Crimea in 2014, Russia has taken control of most of four eastern Ukrainian regions following its invasion in 2022.

Putin claims that his military actions were necessitated by NATO’s expanding presence, which he views as a threat to Russian security. He demands that Ukraine relinquish its ambitions to join NATO.

Furthermore, he insists that Russia retains control over the territory it has taken, that Western sanctions be lifted, and that Ukraine conduct presidential elections. Zelensky, who was elected in 2019, is currently governing under martial law imposed due to the ongoing war.

Putin, a Challenging Negotiator

Trump, who vowed during his campaign to resolve the conflict within 24 hours, faces a tough negotiator in Putin, who Zelensky has argued is untrustworthy in agreements.

“There is a risk that he will try to complicate the conversation with President Trump, feigning agreement while pushing for more and more concessions from Ukraine,” commented Maria Snegovaya, a senior researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

“The worst-case scenario is that Putin manages to convince Trump of a seemingly beneficial future agreement with Russia,” she added.

Since taking office, Trump has brought the United States closer to Russia while straining relations with allies through tariffs and comments about annexing Canada and taking over Greenland.

Although he has expressed a certain camaraderie with Putin, Trump’s administration has shown signs of increasing willingness to apply pressure on the Kremlin to resolve the conflict.

Last month, Trump held a contentious meeting with Zelensky at the White House, which partly devolved due to Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s feelings that Zelensky was not sufficiently grateful for US support.

Zelensky has charged that Putin is intentionally delaying the resolution of the war, asserting that when the Russian leader speaks with Trump on Tuesday, he will have been aware of the proposed 30-day ceasefire for a week.

Trump stated he would contact Putin on Tuesday morning. White House representatives did not specify the exact timing of the call, noting the time zone differences between Washington, D.C., and Moscow.