US President Donald Trump has announced that he will talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about working to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. Addressing journalists on Air Force One as he flew from Florida to Washington on Sunday evening, Trump suggested developments in the near future.
"We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday," Trump said. "A lot of work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end."
Kremlin confirms call, keeps details secret
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday morning that the Tuesday call between Trump and Putin was on. He refused to share information about the conversation, however, saying the Kremlin "never gets ahead of events" and that "the content of conversations between two presidents is not subject to prior discussion."
Trump's approach: 'Dividing up certain assets'
Trump indicated that the discussion would be about border conflicts and energy facilities in Ukraine. "We will be discussing land. We will be discussing power plants," Trump said, calling the negotiations "dividing up certain assets."
Sources revealed that Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently visited Moscow to move negotiations prior to the call.
European apprehensions regarding Trump's strategy
The following discussion will be a crucial juncture in the Russia-Ukraine war and has the potential to determine the future of US foreign policy.
European allies, however, are still wary of Trump's position. Most are apprehensive of his friendly demeanor with Putin and hardline stance on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was subjected to biting criticism when he visited the Oval Office two weeks ago.
Even though Russia's first invasion did not overthrow Ukraine's government, Moscow still occupies huge swaths of Ukrainian land.
Trump reaffirms tariff plans despite market jitters
Outside of Ukraine, Trump also reaffirmed his intentions to impose new tariffs on April 2, disregarding worries over stock market turmoil and economic consequences.
"April 2 is a liberating day for our country,” Trump declared. “We’re getting back some of the wealth that very, very foolish presidents gave away because they had no clue what they were doing."
While Trump has occasionally altered his tariff policies, such as in negotiations with Mexico, he insisted there would be no changes this time.
"They charge us and we charge them," he said, highlighting targeted tariffs on cars, steel, and aluminum.
As the world observes, Tuesday's telephonic call between Trump and Putin might be a turning point in the current Ukraine conflict and the overall geopolitical scenario.
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