The White House reports that US President Donald Trump is committed to negotiating a resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Monday that a peace agreement to end the Ukraine conflict is closer than ever before. Her statement comes before scheduled phone conversations between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During a regular press briefing, Leavitt used an American football analogy, suggesting a potential peace deal is within reach.
“We are on the 10th yard line of peace, and we’ve never been closer to a peace deal than we are in this moment. And the president, as you know, is determined to get one done,” she said.
Leavitt added that Trump plans to share details of the phone call shortly after the negotiations on Tuesday, either personally or through a spokesperson.
Trump initially announced the upcoming phone call on Sunday during a conversation with reporters on Air Force One, stating that discussions would likely center on the current territorial situation in Ukraine, Kiev’s claims to territories now held by Russia, and power plants threatened by the conflict.
Moscow has confirmed the scheduled negotiations but has refrained from specifying the topics to be addressed by the two presidents.
“We never do that; we never jump the gun. Preparations for the conversation are ongoing, but as we see it, discussions between two heads of state should not be preemptively disclosed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Tuesday.
Earlier, US special envoy Steve Witkoff indicated that the upcoming phone talks would likely focus on the US-proposed truce in Ukraine. Witkoff, who met with Putin in Moscow last week, presented the Russian president with details of the proposed 30-day ceasefire. Kiev reportedly agreed to the proposal during discussions with the US in Saudi Arabia the previous week.
While neither Moscow nor Washington has released details of the recent meeting, Witkoff characterized it as positive. Putin reportedly welcomed the truce idea in principle but emphasized that several outstanding issues needed resolution before he could approve it.
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