President Donald Trump revealed late Sunday that U.S. and Russian negotiators have kicked off talks to divvy up assets—land, power plants, and more—between Ukraine and Russia, aiming to halt a war grinding into its third year.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump teased a Tuesday call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, banking on a “very good chance” to end the conflict.
“I think we have a lot of it already discussed by both sides — Ukraine and Russia,” Trump said. “We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance.”
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The talks hinge on Trump persuading Putin to back a 30-day ceasefire pitched last week in Saudi Arabia by U.S. and Ukrainian teams.
Kyiv’s on board; Moscow’s not—yet.
Putin’s camp has signaled any deal must lock in Russia’s territorial gains and bar Ukraine from NATO, demands Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko doubled down on Monday in Izvestia. “Iron-clad security guarantees,” Grushko called them, slamming the door on NATO troops policing a truce—despite Britain and France offering boots.
The Kremlin’s wishlist clashes with mounting pressure on Putin to play ball after Ukraine greenlit the ceasefire. Trump’s betting on momentum, but Russia’s not budging. Grushko skipped mentioning the truce entirely, instead warning that foreign troops in Ukraine would be fair game in the “conflict zone.”
Meanwhile, the battlefield’s ablaze: Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Monday it zapped 72 Ukrainian drones overnight and seized Stepove village while pushing to reclaim Kursk—Ukraine’s toehold on Russian soil since last summer, according to TASS.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy isn’t buying Putin’s peace vibes. “Moscow’s troop buildup shows they’re dodging diplomacy,” he posted on X Saturday, offering to brief allies on the frontlines, from Kursk to the border.
Trump’s asset-split tease marks a bold gambit, but Putin’s dug in, and the clock’s ticking. Tuesday’s call could tip the scales—or expose how wide the gap really is. For now, drones fly, tanks roll, and the war’s end stays a maybe.
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