WASHINGTON/MOSCOW, March 17 – U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, as Washington seeks to end the three-year war, a White House official said on Sunday.
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff said a call between Trump and Putin was likely this week, with ongoing U.S. discussions with Ukraine. “I expect that there’ll be a call with both presidents this week,” Witkoff told CNN’s State of the Union.
“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,” Trump told reporters, adding that significant progress had been made over the weekend. The U.S. has proposed a 30-day ceasefire, a plan accepted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Moscow has also agreed “in principle” but insists that key security concerns be addressed before finalizing an agreement.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko reiterated Moscow’s stance that any lasting peace must include “ironclad security guarantees,” including Ukraine’s neutrality and a pledge that NATO will not accept it into the alliance. “It does not matter under what label NATO contingents were to be deployed on Ukrainian territory: be it the European Union, NATO, or in a national capacity,” Grushko said.
Putin has signaled support for a diplomatic resolution but emphasized that Russia’s concerns must be addressed for any deal to hold. “The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it. But there are issues that we need to discuss,” Putin said in Moscow.
Following recent discussions between the U.S. and Russia, Trump expressed optimism about ending the war. “We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end,” he said.
Zelenskyy, however, has accused Putin of using preconditions to delay a ceasefire. “Putin is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war. That’s why they are surrounding the ceasefire idea with such preconditions that it either fails or gets dragged out,” he said.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Ukraine’s sovereignty is not negotiable and that Russia must withdraw from occupied territories. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and has controlled much of eastern Ukraine since its 2022 invasion. “We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants,” Trump said, without providing further details.
Earlier this month, U.S. and Russian delegations met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, agreeing to improve ties as a step toward ending the war. However, Zelenskyy rejected the outcome, arguing that no decision could be made without Kyiv’s involvement.
Rising tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy culminated in an Oval Office dispute, after which the Ukrainian leader was asked to leave the White House. Days later, Zelenskyy softened his stance on Washington while continuing to criticize Putin. Talks between the U.S. and Ukraine resumed last week, leading to Zelenskyy’s decision to back the ceasefire proposal. However, with Russia still insisting on preconditions, it remains unclear whether a final agreement can be reached.
