Moscow, Mar 18 (EFE).- Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will hold a phone call Tuesday to discuss a possible end to the war in Ukraine and normalizing bilateral ties, the Kremlin said.
“There are many issues, from normalizing bilateral ties to settling the Ukraine crisis. All of this will be addressed by the two presidents,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Peskov confirmed that the conversation would take place between 4 PM and 6 PM Moscow time (1 PM and 3 PM GMT). “They will talk as long as they deem necessary.”
The Kremlin spokesperson also revealed that preparations for the call took “several days” and involved consultations with White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
Last week, Putin signaled his willingness to discuss concerns over a 30-day ceasefire proposal in Ukraine, which Kyiv has already accepted.
While Russia supports a truce, Putin has raised doubts about its implementation, verification, and the risk of Ukraine using the pause to regroup and rearm.
Trump, in response, expressed confidence that Putin would agree to a deal. “I think, I think he is going to agree. I really do. I think I know him pretty well, and I think he is going to agree.”
However, he warned that if Putin rejected the ceasefire, it would be “bad news for this world because so many people are dying.”
During the call, Trump is also expected to urge Putin to release Ukrainian troops still resisting in Russia’s Kursk region.
Putin has said he would spare their lives if they surrendered but referred to them as “terrorists.”
The two leaders last spoke on Feb. 12, when they agreed to launch negotiations to end the war.
Analysts say the outcome of Tuesday’s call could determine whether a US-Russia summit takes place on neutral ground. EFE
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