As U.S. officials prepare to meet with Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, questions arise about the Trump administration’s strategy to persuade Moscow to extend a ceasefire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently agreed to a temporary halt to attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, heading to Jeddah for negotiations, aim to secure a ceasefire over the Black Sea.

Moscow previously agreed to a similar arrangement brokered by Turkey and the UN in 2022, called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, to ensure Ukrainian agricultural exports and control global prices, but Putin later withdrew.

Security experts are skeptical about the prospects of a successful agreement this time.

Another key issue on the agenda in the Middle East is Ukraine’s nuclear power.

While the president’s interest in a mineral deal with Ukraine seems to have waned, he is now focused on a new venture: U.S. “ownership” of Ukraine’s “electrical supply and nuclear power plants.”

“American ownership of these plants would provide the best protection for the infrastructure and support Ukrainian energy infrastructure,” Rubio and Waltz stated after Trump’s phone call Wednesday.

When asked how Putin would react to Trump’s ambitions, Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer and author of “Putin’s Playbook,” suggested that it wouldn’t be well-received, given Putin’s clear interest in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

“Putin is almost certainly against this idea and will attempt to sabotage such a deal,” said Koffler, who briefed NATO officials on Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine before the 2022 invasion. “Moreover, Zelenskyy is unlikely to agree to such a deal.”

“Zelenskyy would likely agree to cede control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the U.S., which is currently under Russian control. The Russians will not voluntarily relinquish control of Zaporizhzhia. If someone tries to take it over by force, they will fight to the bitter end.”

It’s unclear when Trump’s interest in acquiring Ukraine’s energy infrastructure began, but it seems connected to his previous claims that Ukraine would be better protected with American workers and businesses within its borders.

The validity of this argument has been questioned because there were, and still are, in Ukraine during Russia’s invasion. This debate led to a disagreement between Trump and Zelenskyy last month.

Koffler believes Putin might see a U.S. takeover of Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants as a “backdoor” way for the U.S. to offer security guarantees to Ukraine and a “clever way of controlling Ukraine’s nuclear capability, which the Russians believe can be militarized.”

“It would be viewed as a threat to Russia,” Koffler said.

Former CIA Moscow station chief Dan Hoffman told Digital that he doesn’t believe U.S. ownership of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure will significantly contribute to securing peace.

“Show me the deal. We don’t have a deal yet. We have a ceasefire that’s been broken on energy infrastructure,” Hoffman said. He noted that despite Putin’s agreement to halt attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, a drone strike hit a in the Dnipropetrovsk region the following morning, causing power outages.

“It’s just another point for discussion. There are many more important issues. Putin’s negotiating strategy would likely involve agreeing to the U.S. proposal but demanding something in return,” Hoffman said, drawing from his own negotiations with Russian counterparts during his time at the CIA.

“He wants Ukraine. He wants to That’s his objective,” Hoffman added. “Regardless of any short-term agreements, his ultimate goal is to undermine Ukraine’s ability to deter Russia in the future and to give Russia maximum advantage.”

“Right now, he can gain through negotiation what he can’t gain on the battlefield.”

While various issues will be addressed, the former CIA Moscow station chief emphasized that a genuine signal from Putin that he desires an end to the war is crucial for achieving any form of ceasefire.

“The big question that John Ratcliffe has to answer is explain to me why Putin wants a ceasefire. I would argue he doesn’t,” Hoffman said, referring to the director of the CIA. “There is zero indication that he wants one.”

“If he wanted to stop the war and stop the killing of his own people and stop spilling so much blood and treasure, he would have stopped it,” Hoffman argued.

Ultimately, Hoffman concluded that history suggests the war in Ukraine can only truly end on the battlefield, similar to how most major wars have concluded.

“One side loses, one side wins, or both sides don’t have the means to fight anymore,” Hoffman said. “That’s how the wars end.”