The Kremlin stated Monday that preparations have been underway for a cellphone name between President Vladimir V. Putin and President Trump, as questions swirled over the American president’s feedback suggesting that energy crops and “dividing up” Ukrainian belongings have been on the agenda.
The extremely anticipated cellphone name, scheduled for Tuesday, would be the first identified dialog between the 2 leaders since Ukraine agreed to help a U.S.-backed monthlong cease-fire, so long as Russia does the identical. Whereas Mr. Trump has unequivocally said his need to dealer some kind of truce as rapidly as attainable, Mr. Putin appears to be in search of to take advantage of the second to win extra concessions.
Talking aboard Air Pressure One on Sunday night, Mr. Trump stated that he anticipated to debate territorial points with Mr. Putin in addition to the destiny of Ukrainian energy crops. He additionally famous that there had already been discussions about “dividing up sure belongings.”
“We need to see if we are able to convey that conflict to an finish,” Mr. Trump stated. “Perhaps we are able to. Perhaps we are able to’t, however I feel we’ve an excellent probability.”
The Kremlin’s spokesman confirmed on Monday {that a} name was anticipated to happen the next day however declined to reveal the dialog subjects when requested whether or not Ukrainian energy crops can be mentioned.
“We by no means get forward of issues,” stated the spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, since in Moscow’s “opinion the contents of conversations between the 2 leaders can’t be mentioned a priori.”
Mr. Putin has not but agreed to the 30-day cease-fire that U.S. officers proposed after talks with Ukrainian officers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He has stated the concept was “the proper one and we positively help it” — however laid out quite a few situations that might delay or derail any truce.
“There are questions that we have to focus on, and I feel that we have to speak them via with our American colleagues and companions,” he advised a information convention on Thursday.
These remarks got here simply earlier than Mr. Putin met with Steve Witkoff, who serves as Mr. Trump’s particular envoy to the Center East. However he has been concerned within the peace talks over Ukraine and different discussions about restoring ties between Moscow and Washington.
Mr. Witkoff advised CNN on Sunday that his assembly with Russia’s chief had lasted three to 4 hours. He declined to share the specifics of their dialog, however stated it went properly and that the 2 sides had “narrowed the variations between them.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has accused Mr. Putin of stalling whereas Russia’s military advances on the battlefield to strengthen his hand in talks with the Trump administration about pausing the hostilities.
Moscow’s push to drive out Ukrainian troops from a lot of the Kursk area of Russia in current days has disadvantaged Kyiv of an necessary bargaining chip in any potential negotiations.
With its advance in Kursk, Russia can present Mr. Trump that it holds the momentum on the battlefield. Battlefield maps compiled by each Russian and Western teams analyzing fight footage and satellite tv for pc photos present that Russian forces have already crossed into Ukraine’s Sumy area from Kursk, in what analysts say could also be an effort to flank and encircle the remaining Ukrainian troops in Kursk or open a brand new entrance within the conflict.
Mr. Zelensky has accused Russia to getting ready to mount a bigger offensive into the Sumy area, which is residence to a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals. These actions, he stated, indicated that Mr. Putin was not concerned about peace.
Because the American proposal for a cease-fire, Mr. Zelensky stated on Sunday evening, “Russia stole nearly one other week — every week of conflict that solely Russia desires.”
“We are going to do every little thing to additional intensify diplomacy. We are going to do every little thing to make diplomacy efficient,” he wrote on social media.
The reference to “energy crops” by Mr. Trump was the newest indication that they may issue into any such diplomacy round a cease-fire. Whereas the president didn’t elaborate, his feedback got here on the identical day Mr. Witkoff talked about a “nuclear reactor” in an interview with CBS Information.
That appeared be a reference to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, which Russia seized early within the conflict and nonetheless controls.
The six-reactor plant, Europe’s largest, has not equipped energy to Ukraine’s grid since its seize. Its proximity to frontline combating has lengthy raised issues concerning the threat of a radiological catastrophe.
Ukraine has repeatedly demanded Russian forces depart the ability plant so as to cut back the chance of a nuclear accident and ease the nation’s energy shortages. However that risk has grown more and more unlikely as Russia strengthens its maintain on occupied territories in Ukraine.
Viktoria Hryb, the top of the Ukrainian Parliament’s subcommittee on power safety, stated she was “a little bit shocked that the query of the plant emerged” within the remarks by Mr. Trump and Mr. Witkoff.
“Ukraine desires it again,” she stated, but it surely isn’t clear why Russia would give it up.
It was not instantly clear, although, whether or not any dialogue concerning the energy plant would concentrate on Russia giving it up — or discovering a option to maintain it underneath any truce.
The facility plant sits close to the Dnipro River in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia area, which Russia has formally annexed regardless of controlling solely a part of its territory.
Surrendering it might imply ceding territory Russia considers its personal. It might additionally give Kyiv’s troops a foothold in a Russian-controlled space that has been comparatively protected against Ukrainian assaults due to the pure barrier of the massive Dnipro River.
On the similar time, power specialists say, the nuclear plant is in poor situation after three years of conflict and restoring full operations would require a variety of time and funding from Russia. That would imply Russia would possibly see an incentive to attempt to commerce it for one thing else, such because the easing of Western sanctions on the Russian financial system, specialists say.
Victoria Voytsitska, a former lawmaker and senior member of the Ukrainian Parliament’s power committee, famous that Moscow had lengthy sought to renew oil and gasoline exports to Western international locations. These exports, an important income for Russia’s authorities, largely stopped after the conflict started, as European international locations moved to wean themselves off Russian power provides and imposed sanctions on Russian power corporations.
Tyler Pager contributed reporting.
