Photo: Depositphotos
17 March 2025
Washington, Kyiv, Moscow
US President Donald Trump has said that negotiators working to end the war in Ukraine have already discussed “the division of certain assets”. The statement came ahead of his scheduled phone call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, CNN reported.
“I think we’re doing well with Russia. We’ll see if we can announce something on Tuesday,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his return to Washington after a weekend in Mar-a-Lago.
According to him, the US has made significant efforts in negotiations to end the fighting. Earlier, Washington announced that Ukraine had agreed to a proposed 30-day ceasefire, leaving the Kremlin to decide whether it would accept the deal.
“We’re going to talk about land. A lot of land that looks very different now than it did before the war,” Trump said, adding that energy infrastructure is also among the issues under discussion.
Land concessions: a new reality or a trap for Ukraine?
Trump’s comments about a possible “asset swap” were a wake-up call for Kyiv and its European allies. If the issue of territorial concessions is indeed part of the negotiations, it could mean serious diplomatic pressure on Ukraine.
According to CNN, US officials have already hinted that certain territorial concessions could be a condition for ending the war. For its part, the Kremlin has made it clear that it is not going to give up the occupied Ukrainian regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that territorial concessions cannot be part of a peaceful settlement. However, his position is facing increasing international uncertainty, especially given the shift in US policy under the Trump administration.
Moscow reacts cautiously to US initiatives
Putin’s response to the US proposal for a ceasefire has so far been ambiguous. He stated that Russia is “in theory” ready to consider this option, but put forward additional conditions, in particular regarding Ukraine’s political future. The Kremlin continues to insist that the current Ukrainian government is part of the “root cause” of the conflict, indicating that it may be trying to impose political change on Ukraine.
Last week, Moscow confirmed that US negotiators are planning to visit Russia for further discussions. However, the details of these talks remain undisclosed.
Concerns in Europe: Can we trust the new US initiatives?
Trump’s policy towards Ukraine is causing serious concerns among European partners. His willingness to discuss concessions before formal negotiations even begin, as well as his friendly relationship with Putin, make many NATO countries question the stability of American security guarantees.
A number of European leaders have already expressed concern that any forced territorial settlement would look like a reward for Russia for starting the war. In turn, Putin himself has recently stated that Moscow is working to restore relations with the United States, which he said were “destroyed by the previous administration”.
“In general, the situation is starting to move,” he said, commenting on contacts with the Trump team. “We’ll see what happens.”
What’s next?
Negotiations between the US, Ukraine and Russia are expected to continue this week. At the same time, the decision on possible territorial changes could trigger a new political storm both in Kyiv and in Western capitals.
The main question remains: will the peace talks really lead to an end to the war, or will they be the beginning of a new phase of diplomatic confrontation?
