Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Sunday that negotiators working to end the war in Ukraine have already discussed dividing certain assets between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, signaling that discussions have advanced significantly.
The update follows Trump’s recent announcement that Ukraine had agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire, shifting the focus to Russia’s response. While Moscow has expressed interest in the proposal, it has also set strict conditions, demanding key concessions from Kyiv.
“We’ve made good progress with Russia, but we’ll see what happens on Tuesday,” Trump stated. “A lot of work has been done over the weekend, and we’re hoping to end the war. There’s a strong chance we can, but nothing is certain yet.”
Trump acknowledged that discussions had touched on sensitive topics, including territorial control and infrastructure. “We’re talking about land—how it has changed since the war began. Power plants are another major issue,” he said. “Both sides have already had serious discussions on these topics, including the division of assets.”
Despite ongoing negotiations, the issue of territorial concessions remains contentious. Ukraine has resisted ceding land occupied by Russian forces, while Putin has made territorial gains a key condition for a ceasefire. Some European leaders worry that any agreement involving land concessions could be seen as rewarding Russia for its invasion.
Trump’s approach to negotiations, which some view as accommodating toward Moscow, has raised concerns among NATO allies about the future of U.S. security commitments in Europe. Meanwhile, his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, described recent talks as productive, though he did not clarify how the issue of territorial concessions would be settled.
Witkoff emphasized that Putin shares Trump’s goal of ending the war and described last week’s meeting with the Russian leader as “solution-oriented.” He expressed optimism that a temporary halt to fighting could be reached in the coming weeks.
For his part, Putin suggested on Friday that relations between Russia and the U.S. were improving under the Trump administration after years of decline. “We’re seeing some movement in the right direction,” he said. “Let’s see where this leads.”
