Trump to Speak with Putin on Tuesday: 'We're Doing Quite Well with Russia'

US President Donald Trump has announced he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, expressing optimism that Putin will accept a proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. "We want to see if we can end this war. Maybe we can, maybe we can't, but I think we have a very good chance," Trump told reporters early this morning.

Negotiations between the two sides have become increasingly confidential, though Trump confirmed intense discussions took place over the weekend, addressing the "division of certain assets" related to rare earth mineral deposits and Ukrainian energy plants. Trump indicated that Kyiv and Moscow had previously discussed this distribution.

A significant portion of mineral deposits currently lies in Russian-controlled areas. Russia also seeks control over specific power plants supplying electricity to Crimea and the annexed Donbas regions. Among these facilities is the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, crucial for both Ukraine and Russia.

"I think we're doing quite well with Russia. We'll see if we have something to announce perhaps on Tuesday," Trump reiterated aboard Air Force One while returning from his Mar-a-Lago estate to Washington.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio adopted a more cautious stance, describing himself as "cautiously optimistic" but acknowledging the complexity of the situation. "This is a complicated war that has lasted three years. Nobody says it will be easy," Rubio stated, revealing that the White House has "a plan A and a plan B. Plan A is to stop the fighting so we can move to plan B, which is getting everyone around a table to find a way to end this war permanently."

Speaking to CBS News, Rubio added that the second phase would involve "shuttle diplomacy," with various mediating countries similar to peace talks in Gaza, led by the United States. However, he stressed, "we can't even reach that second part until we overcome the first" and halt fighting along the 2,000-kilometre frontline. "It will involve hard work and concessions from both sides, but it has to happen. This war cannot continue. The president (Trump) has been clear about this and is doing everything possible to end it," Rubio concluded.