Russian President Vladimir Putin will set conditions for the ceasefire proposal in a call with President Trump on Tuesday.
Mary Louise Kelly, host:
Next, I’ll talk about the phone. President Trump will speak tomorrow with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as the US continues to pursue a ceasefire contract in Ukraine. Over the weekend, Trump sounded cautiously optimistic.
(Sound bites of archived recordings)
President Donald Trump: We want to see if we can end that war. Maybe we can. Maybe we can’t. But I think we have a very good opportunity.
Kelly: Still, Putin has expressed concern about his ceasefire plan. His critics in Ukraine and Europe say Putin is dragging negotiations and trying to continue the war. To preview the views of Russia, we will be joined by NPR Russian correspondent Charles Maines. Hey.
Charles Maines, Signed: Hello, Mary Louise.
KELLEY: This ceasefire proposal is expected to be at the heart of this call tomorrow. Sketch for us in a simple way, what exactly is the suggestion?
Mains: Yes. It would ban all attacks by both Moscow and Kiev for 30 days. The idea here is that if it works, we will update it and continue doing so as a path to ultimate peace. Now, Ukraine has signed a ceasefire plan after negotiating with the US in Saudi Arabia last week. In doing so, Kiev seemed to smooth out the differences caused by that combat elliptical office meeting last month when President Trump and Vice President Vance deed Ukrainian President Vokrainia before the media. In the aftermath, Trump thwarted support for all US troops and Intelligence News for Ukraine. As soon as Kyiv signed the US proposal, he lifted a penalty. But the idea is that this transaction is conditioned on Russia, which always does the same thing. You know, whether Putin will return or not?
Kelly: Well, and Putin will return or not? What do we know about his view on this deal?
Maines: Well, in public comments, Putin praised Trump for his noble mission of peace. He agreed to the ceasefire plan as a rule. But Putin also raised all sorts of issues he says need further discussion involving those watching the ceasefire. Russia excludes anyone from NATO member countries. Putin has also made it very clear that he believes Ukraine has signed a contract and therefore signed a deal to reorganize to stop the progress of the Russian battlefield – frankly, the same concerns that Ukraine has always had about Russia.
Kelly: Well, another piece of background here, Trump had his envoy – White House envoy Steve Witkov was in Moscow last week. He was discussing all of this. Do you know where those meetings landed?
Maines: Well, Putin – Yeah, he met Steve Witkov behind closed doors. According to a Kremlin spokesman, Putin gave the American leader additional signals.
Kelly: It’s hanging. Additional Signals – What does that mean?
Main: Well, we don’t know. But Witkov later added that the US is closing the gap between the two sides. We know that Putin wants a long-term reconciliation that addresses what he calls the root of the conflict. For Putin, that is, of course, perhaps the expansion of NATO to the Russian border into Ukraine. But today I spoke with Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser. Sergei Markov said the Kremlin had rushed to remove the problems in Ukraine completely. Markov then borrowed a PHOR since Trump’s real estate days.
Sergei Markov: The Ukrainian War is not beneficial to him. For example, buildings, etc., should be sold as soon as possible.
Kelly: Hotels that are not useful, I think he just said there. So, Charles talks about one criticism of Trump that he made big concessions to Russia before these negotiations begin. Is Vladimir Putin giving up anything?
Maines: Well, the truth is that we don’t know. You know, Trump clearly says that Ukraine will not join NATO. That certainly sounds like a Russian demand. I was asking Markov, a former adviser to Putin, what Russia was willing to admit. And I think his answer gives insight. Markov said it was just a fact that Russia had no more territory: Russia’s concessions.
Kelly: Thank you, Charles Maines.
Mains: Thank you.
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