President Donald Trump of the United States announced plans to discuss the ongoing Ukraine conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, focusing on potential territorial concessions from Kyiv and the status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as central topics in their conversation.
“We aim to explore ways to bring this war to a conclusion,” Trump stated to reporters aboard Air Force One during his return to the Washington, DC area from Florida on Sunday. “Perhaps we can succeed, perhaps we can’t, but I believe we have a significant opportunity.
“I will be conversing with President Putin on Tuesday. Substantial preparations have been made over the weekend.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Putin would indeed hold a phone conversation with Trump but refrained from commenting on Trump’s statements regarding territorial concessions and nuclear facilities.
“Yes, this meeting is confirmed,” he stated during a press briefing. “Preparations for the conversation on Tuesday are underway.”
Trump is seeking Putin’s backing for a suggested 30-day ceasefire, which was accepted by Ukraine last week, as both sides continued to engage in heavy aerial assaults over the weekend. Meanwhile, Russia is making strides to remove Ukrainian forces from their established positions in the western border region of Kursk.
When asked about the concessions that might be discussed during ceasefire talks, Trump remarked: “We will consider issues regarding territory. We will talk about power plants. … We’re already in conversations about dividing certain assets.”
While Trump did not provide specific details, he was likely alluding to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility in Ukraine, which is the largest nuclear plant in Europe and currently under Russian occupation. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of actions that could pose risks of accidents at the facility.
According to Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari reporting from Moscow, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is indeed expected to be a significant topic of discussion.
“This facility, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, fell under Russian control early in the conflict in March 2022. It has since been shut down but remains under Russian military and state nuclear energy company Rosatom control,” she explained.
“Additionally, any proposed temporary ceasefire requires security guarantees for Russia, meaning it’s crucial for them that Ukraine does not use this chance to regroup or rearm,” she noted.
French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned on Monday that Trump is advocating for specific conditions that Russia must fulfill for a 30-day ceasefire.
In a post on X, Macron emphasized that it is up to Russia to demonstrate its genuine desire for peace, adding that he spoke again with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding this issue on Monday.
The Kremlin disclosed on Friday that Putin had communicated his ceasefire proposal to Trump through US envoy Steve Witkoff during discussions in Moscow, expressing “cautious optimism” that an agreement could be established to end the three-year-long conflict.
During various Sunday television appearances in the US, both Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, underscored that numerous challenges remain before Russia would agree to a ceasefire, let alone a comprehensive resolution to the war.
Zelenskyy remarked on Friday that he perceived a promising opportunity to conclude the Russian war after Ukraine accepted the US’s proposal for a temporary 30-day ceasefire.
Nonetheless, Zelenskyy has continually stated that the sovereignty of Ukraine is non-negotiable and that Russia must relinquish the territories it has captured. Since seizing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, Russia has also taken control of parts of four eastern and southern Ukrainian regions following its invasion in 2022.
Putin has indicated that his military actions in Ukraine are intended to safeguard Russia’s security against what he portrays as a threatening and aggressive West, specifically citing NATO’s expansion eastward. In contrast, Ukraine and its Western allies assert that Russia is engaging in an unprovoked act of aggression and imperialistic territorial acquisition.
Moscow is demanding that Ukraine abandon its NATO pursuits, that Russia maintains control over all occupied Ukrainian territories, limits the size of the Ukrainian military, and that Western sanctions are eased. Additionally, Russia seeks a presidential election in Ukraine, which Kyiv argues is premature while martial law is in force.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, stated on Monday that Russia’s ceasefire conditions reveal a lack of genuine interest in achieving peace.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer remarked on Saturday that Western allies, aside from the United States, are ramping up preparations to support Ukraine if a ceasefire with Russia is established, with defense leaders set to finalize “robust plans” in the coming week.
Both Britain and France have expressed willingness to send peacekeeping forces to oversee any potential ceasefire arrangements in Ukraine.
New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who met with President Macron in Paris on Monday, also committed to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces engaged in a drone assault targeting southern Russia overnight, igniting a fire at an oil refinery, according to local officials on Monday. In response, Moscow unleashed nearly 200 drones on Ukraine.
Astrakhan Governor Igor Babushkin reported that staff members of a “fuel and energy” facility were evacuated prior to the attack, which resulted in a significant blaze.
“One individual was injured during the attack and has been hospitalized,” Babushkin shared on social media.
The recent bombardment comes as Ukraine criticized Russia for refusing to accept the US-proposed ceasefire without conditions.
Moscow, in turn, launched a barrage of 174 drones on Ukraine, where air defense forces intercepted 90 of them, including Iranian-designed Shahed drones, according to the air force.
In the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa, approximately 500 residents lost power due to the attacks, and one person was injured, reports Governor Oleg Kiper, who noted that several structures were damaged, including a preschool.
