Trump and Putin to Discuss Ceasefire Agreement in Upcoming Call, US Envoy Reports

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are slated to have discussions in the upcoming days as negotiations persist regarding a potential ceasefire in the ongoing three-year conflict in Ukraine.

US envoy Steve Witkoff, who met with Putin on Thursday in Moscow, informed UJ that he anticipates “there will be a call with both presidents this week.”

“We are also maintaining communication with the Ukrainians,” he elaborated. “We’re keeping them informed about our thoughts and plans.”

Last week, the US and Ukraine reached an agreement to propose a 30-day ceasefire to Russia. Although Putin expressed his support for a ceasefire, he also outlined a series of stringent conditions for achieving peace.

Witkoff remarked in an interview on Sunday: “I believe that the two presidents will have a constructive and positive conversation this week.”

He indicated that teams of US negotiators would convene with representatives from both Ukraine and Russia in the coming week.

Witkoff expressed confidence that an agreement would be reached “in the upcoming weeks.”

“I am genuinely optimistic that we will witness some progress here,” he stated.

During his election campaign, Trump consistently vowed to conclude the war, which ensued following Russia’s large-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022, on “day one” of his administration.

Shortly after he took office, Trump had a 90-minute conversation with Putin regarding the immediate initiation of negotiations to end the conflict.

Witkoff refrained from addressing a question about how the issue of Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine might be resolved in a potential agreement, as Russia currently holds approximately one-fifth of Ukraine.

The envoy mentioned that Trump is actively engaged in the diplomatic discussions.

For instance, Witkoff noted that “within five to 10 minutes” after his meeting with Putin concluded on Thursday, he returned to the US embassy to brief Trump, along with Vice-President JD Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

“The president is receiving real-time updates on everything that’s unfolding and is involved in every critical decision here,” he added.