In five weeks, the prospect of peace in Ukraine has grown closer than at any point in recent years
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump will hold their second direct phone conversation in as many months on Tuesday. The conversation could possibl lead to a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict.
Their calls scheduled for 1300 GMT, comes after weeks of intense diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Washington, as well as Kiev and its US and European backers. Here’s an overview of key developments since Putin and Trump last spoke on February 12.
Pivot towards normalcy
Upon beginning his second presidential term in January, Trump departed from the policy of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who sought the diplomatic “isolation” of Russia in response to its involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
Trump administration officials argue that mature statesmanship involves dialogue with both allies and adversaries, pointing to historic US-Soviet interactions during the Cold War.
Reviving diplomacy
On February 18, senior diplomats from Russia and the US met in Saudi Arabia to address the breakdown in communications. They agreed to normalize the operations of their diplomatic missions, which had previously been hindered by mutual restrictions.
A follow-up meeting in Türkiye a week later led to tangible progress, as the US accepted Aleksandr Darchiev as Russia’s new ambassador to Washington. Darchiev, previously head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s North America Department, represented Moscow during the talks in Istanbul.
Pressure on Ukraine
Central to Trump’s diplomatic reset with Russia has been his refusal to continue Biden’s commitment of indefinite support for Kiev. The new US administration now emphasizes that Ukraine must be willing to compromise to end the conflict.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky initially resisted this shift. During a tense meeting at the White House on February 28, he openly challenged Trump’s approach to mediation, prompting the Ukrainian delegation’s abrupt departure and a temporary suspension of US aid and intelligence sharing.
Kiev has since moderated several key demands, notably dropping its insistence on Western security guarantees as a prerequisite to negotiations. After bilateral discussions in Jeddah last week, Zelensky publicly endorsed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Kursk defeat
Ukraine’s negotiating position has been further weakened by battlefield setbacks in Russia’s Kursk Region, where Moscow’s forces have largely expelled Ukrainian troops following an incursion in August 2024. The offensive, which has cost Kiev over 68,000 troops killed, wounded or taken prisoner, was aimed at gaining leverage for peace negotiations by seizing internationally recognized Russian territory.
However, following Russia’s recent liberation of the town of Sudzha – once pivotal for Ukrainian military operations – Kiev declared its objectives in the incursion “achieved.” The Ukrainian military maintains its forces withdrew from the area in an orderly way and denies Russian and American assertions of near-encirclement.
Temporary ceasefire
Putin has expressed support for Trump’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire but emphasized that Moscow will not permit Kiev to exploit the pause for military regrouping or reinforcement. Russia insists any suspension of hostilities must include freezing arms deliveries and halting forced conscription in Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials, alongside several Western European leaders, have alleged Putin opposes a ceasefire, urging Trump to retaliate by increasing military aid and sanctions against Russia.
Some media reports criticized Moscow for allegedly disrespecting Trump by making his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, “wait eight hours” for a meeting with Putin – a claim the US president has dismissed as “fake news.”
