Trump, Putin to discuss Ukraine peace deal in high-stakes call; What's on agenda?

US President Donald Trump is set to hold a high-stakes phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. The two leaders are expected to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine, including possible territorial concessions by Kyiv and the fate of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

“It’s a bad situation in Russia, and it’s a bad situation in Ukraine,” Trump told reporters Monday. “What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace. And I think we’ll be able to do it.”

The call follows a whirlwind of diplomatic efforts, including a freeze on US military aid to Ukraine earlier this month and a tense Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump is pushing for a 30-day ceasefire proposal amid shifting US-Russia dynamics.

The US President’s focus on swiftly ending the war, now in its third year, has strained relations with longtime European allies who demand that Putin face consequences for the invasion.

His ceasefire push gained traction after Ukraine agreed to the proposal last week, even as both sides exchanged heavy airstrikes Monday and Russian forces advanced on Ukrainian troops holding a foothold in Russia’s Kursk region.

Trump described the Ukrainian soldiers there as “in deep trouble, surrounded by Russian soldiers,” suggesting his suspension of military aid may have pressured Kyiv into accepting the proposal.

“A lot of people are being killed over there, and we had to get Ukraine to do the right thing,” he said. “But I think they’re doing the right thing right now.”

Zelenskyy, in his nightly video address, accused Putin of stalling the peace process.

“It’s clear to everyone in the world ... that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war,” he said. “Every day in wartime means human lives.”

The talks with Putin are expected to address land swaps and control of key assets, including the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, which has been a flashpoint since Moscow seized it in 2022.

Trump hinted at this late Sunday, saying, “We’ll be talking about land. We’ll be talking about power plants ... dividing up certain assets.”

The Zaporizhzhia facility, which generated nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s pre-war electricity, has raised global alarm, with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency warning of a potential nuclear disaster amid ongoing fighting.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Monday that a border power plant would be on the agenda.