WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in a possible pivot point in efforts to end the war in Ukraine and an opportunity for Trump to continue reorienting American foreign policy.
Trump disclosed the upcoming conversation to reporters while flying from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening, while the Kremlin confirmed Putin's participation on Monday morning.
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FILE - Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, as President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov, File)
In this photo taken on March 16, 2025 and provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, Ukrainian soldiers fire 120mm mortar towards Russian army positions near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)
"Peace to the world", a painting created by Russian artist Alexei Sergienko showing a combination of faces of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, is on display at the Sergienko's gallery in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Friday, March 14, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Air Force One carrying President Donald Trump takes off at Palm Beach International Airport, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
“We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday,” Trump said. "A lot of work's been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday morning confirmed the plans for the two leaders to speak on Tuesday, but declined to give details, saying that “we never get ahead of events” and “the content of conversations between two presidents are not subject to any prior discussion.”
European allies are wary of Trump's affinity for Putin and his hardline stance toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who faced sharp criticism when he visited the Oval Office a little more than two weeks ago.
Although Russia failed in its initial goal to topple Ukraine with its invasion three years ago, it still controls large swaths of the country.
Trump said land and power plants are part of the conversation around bringing the war to a close.
“We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants,” he said, a process he described as "dividing up certain assets.”
Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff recently visited Moscow last week to advance negotiations.
Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in the southeast of the country — but doesn't fully control any of the four. Last year, Putin listed Kyiv's withdrawal of troops from all four regions as one of the demands for peace.
In 2014, the Kremlin also annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
In the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, Moscow controls the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — the largest in Europe. The plant has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire since the invasion. The International Atomic Energy Agency, a U.N. body, has frequently expressed alarm about the plant amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe.
During his conversation with reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he was pushing forward with his plans for tariffs on April 2 despite recent disruption in the stock market and nervousness about the economic impact.
“April 2 is a liberating day for our country," he said. "We’re getting back some of the wealth that very, very foolish presidents gave away because they had no clue what they were doing.”
Trump has occasionally changed course on some tariff plans, such as with Mexico, but he said he had no intention of doing so when it comes to reciprocal tariffs.
“They charge us and we charge them," he said. "Then in addition to that, on autos, on steel, on aluminum, we’re going to have some additional tariffs.”
FILE - Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, as President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov, File)
In this photo taken on March 16, 2025 and provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, Ukrainian soldiers fire 120mm mortar towards Russian army positions near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)
"Peace to the world", a painting created by Russian artist Alexei Sergienko showing a combination of faces of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, is on display at the Sergienko's gallery in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Friday, March 14, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Air Force One carrying President Donald Trump takes off at Palm Beach International Airport, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
KOCANI, North Macedonia (AP) — As families gathered at a hospital for updates, Tomco Stojanov already knew his son's devastating fate: 25-year-old Andrej died trying to save others in a nightclub fire that left dozens dead in North Macedonia, including many trampled during a desperate bid to escape.
“Thank you for your condolences, but my pain is incurable. The wound is incurable,” Stojanov said, holding up a photograph of his son, clean-shaven and wearing a suit jacket.
"He died while returning and entering to save other people. And he was pushed, run over, that’s how my son died."
North Macedonia is grappling with the loss of dozens of young lives in Sunday's nightclub inferno in the eastern town of Kocani, and trying to hold those responsible to account and prevent another calamity.
Authorities are investigating allegations of bribery surrounding the fire in the nightclub, which was crammed with young revelers and at double capacity.
Fire tore through the overcrowded Club Pulse during a live concert, leaving 59 people dead and more than 150 injured from burns, smoke inhalation and being trampled in the panicked rush toward the building’s single exit.
Videos showed sparkling pyrotechnics on the stage hitting the club's ceiling and igniting the blaze as a band played. Bribes to authorities to skip licensing requirements and skirt safety regulations are commonplace in North Macedonia, practices that have caught the attention of Western governments. The European Union has repeatedly expressed concerns over pervasive corruption in the country, identifying it as a major obstacle to the country’s accession to the bloc.
Silent protests against corruption were held Monday in Kocani, joined by thousands of residents and separately by university students in Skopje.
“Justice is expected, that is what we all expect so that there are no such similar situations in the future,” Stavre Janev said at the Kocani protest. The latest in a string of deadly nightclub fires around the world, Sunday's tragedy shook this nation of 2 million, where close-knit extended family bonds made the disaster personal to many. Clubgoers as young as 16 were among the casualties, and the nation declared seven days of mourning.
“We are all in shock, and I am shocked myself: as a mother, as a person, as a president,” North Macedonian President Gordana Davkova Siljanovska said in an address to the nation Sunday night.
North Macedonia’s government ordered a sweeping three-day inspection to be carried out at all nightclubs and cabarets across the country, starting Monday.
State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said a preliminary inspection of the Club Pulse nightclub had revealed numerous safety code violations, including a lack of emergency exits, an insufficient number of fire extinguishers and improper access for emergency vehicles.
The fire caused the roof of the single-story building to partially collapse, revealing the charred remains of wooden beams and debris.
“The omissions are significant. I can confidently say that this is a failure of the system,” the prosecutor told reporters, also noting the lack of an overhead extinguisher system and fire alarms, and the use of flammable materials to line the inside walls.
The country was in mourning as people watched harrowing scenes in the town of 25,000 people, where rescuers for hours carried out the grim task of removing the charred bodies of clubgoers.
A state coroner said the bodies were being brought for identification in batches from morgues due to the high number of people killed.
Flags around the country have been lowered to half-staff, and the death toll may rise further, with 20 of the injured in critical condition, Health Minister Arben Taravari said.
Neighboring and nearby countries — Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey — along with a number of others have already accepted some 50 patients with the most serious injuries, while several countries are also sending medical teams to North Macedonia, officials said.
“All patients who have been transferred abroad are currently in stable condition. We hope it stays that way and that we will receive positive news from abroad,” Taravari said.
Officials said 10 people remain in police custody for questioning in Kocani, some 115 kilometers (72 miles) east of the capital, Skopje. Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski added that a preliminary inspection revealed the club was operating without a proper license. He said the number of people inside the club was at least double its official capacity of 250.
Condolences poured in from leaders around Europe as well as from the office of the hospitalized Pope Francis.
Late Sunday, Kocani's residents held a candlelight vigil in support of mourning families, waiting in long lines to light church candles.
Beti Delovska, an economist from Skopje, said North Macedonia has never experienced a tragedy like this, with dozens of young people vanishing in minutes. She noted that many young people with bright futures had already left the nation, in search of opportunities elsewhere.
North Macedonia “is on its death bed,” Delovska said. “We have no more credible institutions, the health system is completely dismantled, education is poor, judiciary is partisan and corrupt to the bone,” she said.
"I do believe now that only God can save (North) Macedonia.”
Testorides reported from Skopje, North Macedonia
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A girl cries as she wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A girl cries as she wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Dragi Stojanov cries holding a photograph of his son Tomche Stojanov, one of the victims of a massive nightclub fire, during a vigil joined by hundreds in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
A woman writes in a condolence book for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A woman cries while waiting in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A woman cries while waiting in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A woman writes a condolence message for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A toy and flowers are placed next to condolence books for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire are written in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Youngsters light candles for the victims of a massive nightclub fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Tomco Stojanov who said his son Andrej died in the fire holds his portrait outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Tomco Stojanov who said his son Andrej died in the fire holds his portrait outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
A charred ventilator on the wall of a nightclub building, damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A charred ventilator on the wall of a nightclub building, damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Support beams are charred in the partially collapsed roof of the building of a nightclub, damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
The building of a nightclub is damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A cyclist goes past a banner reads: "Kocani" hanging from a fence outside the St. Clement Christian Orthodox church in Skopje, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub in the town of Kocani, early Sunday. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A woman walks past North Macedonia flags flapping in the wind at half staff in front of a Government building in Skopje, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub in the town of Kocani, early Sunday. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Girls cry as they light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Girls cry as they light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
An aerial photograph shows the damaged roof of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Macedonian Interior Minister Pance Toskovski speaks to media after a massive fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Police officers hold plastic bags on the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Maria Taseva, a 19 years-old survivor, who said her sister died in the fire, sits outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
A firefighter inspects a nightclub after a massive fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A woman cries outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Women cry and hug outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A man cries outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
