Editor's note: The article was updated with additional comments from President Donald Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to have a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the morning of March 18 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
"I'll be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday. A lot of work's been done over the weekend," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on March 17.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the plans for a call between the two leaders on March 18, state news agency TASS reported.
The planned call follows U.S.-led negotiations in Saudi Arabia, where Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv accepted the deal during talks in Jeddah on March 11, prompting the U.S. to resume military and intelligence support for Ukraine.
On March 13, Putin said Russia was also willing to accept the ceasefire but demanded guarantees that Ukraine would not mobilize troops, conduct training, or receive military assistance during the truce, making it potentially vulnerable to renewed Russian aggression.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was "very much" looking forward to the call with Putin, adding that "many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains."
"Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier death and it must end NOW," Trump wrote on March 17.
To discuss the proposal, U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow this week, where Putin reportedly signaled openness to the U.S. plan.
"We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can't, but I think we have a very good chance," Trump said.
When asked about potential concessions in the ceasefire talks, Trump said discussions would include territorial matters and power plants.
"I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides, Ukraine and Russia. We're already talking about that, dividing up certain assets," Trump added.
The expected phone call comes as Trump pushes to secure a deal, though European allies and Ukraine warn that a rushed agreement without security guarantees could fail to bring lasting peace.
Olena Goncharova
