Trump’s secret talks with Putin: Will Ukraine be forced to cede land for peace? In a high-stakes diplomatic maneuver, U.S. President Donald Trump is set to hold a critical phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18 to discuss a potential ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.
However, controversy is already swirling around the negotiations as Trump openly admitted that ‘land division and asset allocation’ will be part of the discussion, raising serious concerns that Washington may accept a deal allowing Russia to maintain control over occupied Ukrainian territories.
According to The New York Times, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the ceasefire talks would specifically address land ownership and infrastructure management, hinting that Russia may be allowed to retain significant territorial gains.
“We’re going to talk about land, big portions of land.
The situation is completely different from before the war,” Trump remarked, also mentioning discussions on energy plants and power grids, fueling speculation that Ukrainian sovereignty may be at risk.
The central issue at stake is whether Russia will be allowed to permanently control the territories it has occupied since 2014, including Crimea and the Donbas region, as well as recently seized parts of southern Ukraine.
Some White House insiders suggest that Trump’s administration may consider allowing Russia to hold onto roughly 20% of Ukraine’s land in exchange for a ceasefire.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vehemently opposed any such compromise, warning that “any territorial concessions will set a dangerous precedent that emboldens future aggression.”
This diplomatic crisis echoes the 1945 Yalta Conference, where global powers secretly negotiated the post-World War II geopolitical order, leading to the Soviet Union’s long-term control over Eastern Europe.
Tufts University professor Monica Duffy Toft cautioned: “If Putin can secure territorial gains through negotiation, it could serve as a dangerous model for other global powers—China, for example, may see this as a precedent for its ambitions in Taiwan.”
European leaders are also voicing their concerns.
French President Emmanuel Macron and newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and demanded clear commitments from Russia for an immediate ceasefire.
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that if Putin refuses an unconditional ceasefire, the West has “additional measures” to increase pressure on Russia.
History has shown that deals exchanging land for peace often lead to further conflict rather than stability.
The world now watches closely—will this ceasefire negotiation become another diplomatic failure, or will it reshape global power dynamics in an unforeseen way?.