Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to hold a crucial phone call on Tuesday afternoon to negotiate the end of the conflict in Ukraine. However, there have been reports that Russia is insisting on an immediate halt to all Western arms deliveries to Ukraine as a requirement for any ceasefire agreement.
The Kremlin announced that the phone call is scheduled to take place between 1 pm and 3 pm GMT. US President Trump expressed his anticipation for the call on his Truth Social platform late on Monday night, stating that while there have been several elements of a Final Agreement agreed upon, much remains to be resolved.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the conversation between the two leaders will cover various matters, including the normalization of relations and the Ukrainian issue. Peskov also indicated that the leaders will discuss the matter for as long as they deem necessary.
This upcoming call will be the first direct conversation between Trump and Putin since Ukraine approved a 30-day ceasefire last week. However, Putin effectively rejected the plan and instead presented a series of conditions, such as the suspension of Ukraine’s rearmament and mobilization, as well as a halt to Western military aid during the ceasefire period.
According to Bloomberg, Putin is expected to demand a suspension of all weapons deliveries to Ukraine, including aid from the US and Europe, as a prerequisite for any proposed ceasefire by Trump.
The request for a suspension of arms deliveries is likely to cause unease in Europe, as the UK and the European Union are actively working to deliver additional military aid packages to Ukraine promptly.
In addition, Putin has reiterated his calls for broader negotiations on a long-term resolution to the conflict. His demands could include the demilitarization of Ukraine, an end to Western military aid, and a commitment to keep Ukraine out of NATO.
Before the conversation, Trump indicated that Russian and American negotiators have discussed the division of certain assets.
While Trump expressed optimism about reaching a ceasefire, there is concern in Kyiv about Trump’s suggestion that the US may pressure Ukraine to cede significant territory.
Trump stated that the conversation will also involve discussions about land, and he compared his approach to the 1945 Yalta conference where territories were divided. However, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov dismissed any comparisons to a “new Yalta” and insisted that global restructuring is not on the agenda.
Furthermore, it has been reported that the White House is considering officially recognizing Crimea as Russian territory as part of a potential peace deal. This would involve pressure on the UN to follow suit.
Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha outlined the key red lines for any peace agreement, including no recognition of Russian annexations, no restrictions on Ukraine’s armed forces, and no Russian veto on Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership.
As the call between Trump and Putin takes place, Ukrainian troops have retreated from nearly all of Russia’s Kursk region. Trump claimed intervention to safeguard thousands of Ukrainian soldiers in the region, echoing Putin’s unsubstantiated claim of encirclement.
However, Kyiv and independent military analysts have denied that Ukrainian forces in the Russian border region were encircled, stating that Ukraine conducted an organized retreat over the past several weeks.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/18/trump-and-putin-to-hold-high-stakes-call-on-ukraine
