Photo: Depositphotos
US President Donald Trump said that on Tuesday, 18 March, he plans to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The US leader told reporters on board Air Force One on the way from Florida to Washington that one of the key topics of conversation will be a possible truce in Ukraine.
A chance to end the war?
According to Trump, the United States is actively working on a diplomatic solution to the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. “We want to see if we can end this war. Maybe we can, maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance,” he said.
The US leader noted that “things are going pretty well with Russia” and expressed hope that after talking to Putin, the parties would be able to make “some statements” regarding the US-proposed truce.
Energy, territories and the Black Sea
According to CNN and AP, during the talks, the parties will address the issues of territories and “energy plants”, which Trump called “the division of some assets”. In particular, the issue of Zaporizhzhia NPP, which remains under the control of Russian occupation forces, will be on the agenda.
US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said that Washington is also discussing access to Black Sea ports. “There are regions that Russia is targeting, including a nuclear power plant that supplies a significant amount of electricity to Ukraine. This needs to be dealt with,” Vitkoff said in an interview with CBS.
What to expect from the negotiations?
It is unclear whether Trump’s meeting with Putin will have any concrete results, but the White House has shown a willingness to discuss new options for ending the war. At the same time, no official details on the possible terms of a peace agreement have been made public.
The situation remains tense, and Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it will not accept any solution that involves territorial concessions. Thus, the main question remains: will this initiative lead to real steps towards ending the war, or will it become another diplomatic manoeuvre without any real changes on the frontline?
