Donald Trump said he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will discuss “land”, “power plants” and “dividing up certain assets” when they hold Ukraine peace talks tomorrow,Tuesday,March 18, 2025.
Moscow confirmed a call between the United States (US) and Russian leaders is being planned but would not be drawn on what they would discuss, according to bbc.com.
US officials are trying to sound positive about doing a ceasefire deal – but the tone from Moscow was sounding extremely bullish.
Meanwhile, European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia does not really want peace, as talks about Ukraine take place in Brussels.
Overnight, Ukrainian and Russian drone attacks continued and Ukraine said Russia is still trying to invade the Sumy region of northern Ukraine.
Sumy is close to the Kursk region of Russia that Russian forces are retaking.
Russia Confirms Putin To Speak To Trump On Tuesday
The Kremlin confirmed that a call between presidents Putin and Trump is being prepared for Tuesday.
“Yes, that’s true. A call is being planned for Tuesday,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday,March 17.
Peskov would not be drawn on what the two presidents would discuss specifically regarding Ukraine peace talks, when asked whether they would broach questions of Ukraine territory and power plants, as mentioned by Trump.
“We never do that,” Peskov said.
Kyiv Has Firm Red Lines On Accepting Peace Deal, Ukrainian Politician Says
Even as the call is being awaited, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Ukrainian Parliament, Oleksandr Merezhko, said the country has limits on how far it would go to accept peace with Russia.
“We have three very firm red lines when it comes to Ukraine,” he told the BBC, listing these as:
*Territorial integrity – “it’s not negotiable. We will never agree to any territorial concessions.”
*Ukraine’s membership in international organisations, in particular in Nato – “Putin shouldn’t decide that.”
*Defence capabilities – “We cannot agree to Putin’s suggestions, some kind of limits on our defence capabilities.”
Merezkho went on to say that he did not know what President Trump expects from Putin, but added “Putin has proved many times he’s a pathological liar and manipulator”.
Ukraine has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire plan initiated by the US. Russia has said it supports the idea but added that there are “nuances” to be worked out.
