Nearly three weeks after a fraught meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House, which was intended to pave the way for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump has made another diplomatic effort. This time, he reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to find an end to the years-long conflict that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and left the region in chaos.
Trump’s phone call to Putin, initiated at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, is still ongoing—more than 90 minutes into the conversation. According to the White House, the discussion is “going well,” though details of the talks remain scarce. What is clear, however, is that the two leaders are engaged in serious negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the war-torn region. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as both sides consider how to navigate the complex landscape of territory, power, and political influence.
From the outset, President Trump has signaled that he is prepared to discuss which parts of Ukraine—particularly those captured by Russian forces—might be permanently ceded to Russia. Trump’s rhetoric over the weekend suggested that the U.S. is already exploring the possibility of “dividing up certain assets” between the warring parties, a stance that has sent ripples of concern through European capitals. There is widespread fear that Trump’s apparent fondness for Putin could lead him to compromise too much of Ukraine’s territorial integrity in the name of peace. And, perhaps more troubling for the Ukrainian government, is the prospect that Kyiv will not be involved in decisions that may fundamentally alter its future.
The backdrop to today’s phone call is a fragile ceasefire agreement brokered by Ukraine, which has agreed to halt hostilities for 30 days and engage in dialogue with Russia. However, Moscow has made its own set of non-negotiable conditions for any further talks. Among these are demands that NATO cease its support for Ukraine and refrain from deploying peacekeeping forces. In response, Ukraine has insisted that Russia must accept an “unconditional” ceasefire, urging Moscow to demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace rather than leveraging military advancements as bargaining chips.
Putin’s position is crystal clear: he views NATO’s involvement in Ukraine as the root cause of the war, and he will not back down on his demand that NATO troops be kept out of Ukraine—no matter the cost. Moreover, Putin has made it evident that any peace deal would require the U.S. to cease its arms shipments to Ukraine. This is a non-starter for Kyiv, which has been bolstered by Western support since the beginning of the conflict.
President Trump’s recent comments about negotiating over “land” and “power plants,” likely referring to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, have only added to the uncertainty. The plant, now under Russian control, is a flashpoint in the broader struggle over Ukraine’s sovereignty and strategic assets. Trump’s cryptic remarks have further fueled anxieties that he may be willing to make concessions that undermine both Ukraine’s territorial integrity and its security in the long term.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump seemed to downplay the difficulty of reaching an agreement, suggesting that “many elements of a final agreement have been agreed to,” but leaving the door open for more negotiation. With both sides staking out hard positions, the next steps in these high-stakes talks could determine not only the fate of Ukraine but the future of Europe’s geopolitical order.
As the phone call continues and negotiations unfold, the world waits with bated breath to see what, if anything, will emerge from this diplomatic push. Will Trump’s overtures lead to a breakthrough, or will his willingness to entertain compromises with Russia further alienate Ukraine and its Western allies? Only time will tell, but one thing is clear: the stakes could not be higher for Ukraine, for Europe, and for the global community.
