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After Trump-Putin call, Russia agrees to limited Ukraine ceasefire

Zelenksyy skeptical after White House says Russia has agreed to limited Ukraine ceasefire

The White House says Russia agreed temporary ceasefire in which Kyiv and Moscow agree to stop attacking each other's power plants and electric grids.

WASHINGTON − A call between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin ended with a limited agreement for Russia and Ukraine to cease attacks on energy infrastructure but stopped short of a U.S. proposal for a temporary truce.

The United States said Russia had agreed to an energy and infrastructure ceasefire. After Moscow and Kyiv agree to stop hitting each other's power plants and electric grids, negotiators would move on to a potential halt in fighting on the Black Sea − and then to a full ceasefire and peace agreement in the 3-year-old Ukraine war, a White House statement said.

Trump said on social media the talk ended "with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine. ...

"That process is now in full force and effect, and we will, hopefully, for the sake of Humanity, get the job done!"

The White House said that discussions would begin immediately in the Middle East. 

Trump's team has been meeting representatives from Moscow and Kyiv separately to nail down a ceasefire and a framework for a deal to end the war. Trump promised a rapid end to the conflict during the 2024 campaign, but he has has been unable to bring about a resolution so far.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow last week. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The interactions followed in-person talks with top Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia and set the stage for Tuesday's call between Putin and Trump.

 

Artist Alexei Sergienko walks towards his painting 'Peace to the world?' showing a combination of faces of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, at the Sergienko gallery in Saint Petersburg, Russia March 17, 2025.
Artist Alexei Sergienko walks towards his painting "Peace to the world?" showing a combination of faces of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, at the Sergienko gallery in Saint Petersburg, Russia March 17, 2025. Ant
 

They talked for at least an hour and a half, the White House indicated. Officials declined to say how much longer the leaders spoke.

A readout from the White House provided scant details on what was discussed. A Kremlin statement said Trump proposed a 30-day halt on energy infrastructure attacks and Putin immediately gave his military the order. Russia also said a prisoner exchange would happen Wednesday with each side releasing 175 people. An additional 23 severely injured Ukrainian troops would also be transferred, the Kremlin said.

Trump also backed a Putin proposal for U.S.-Russia hockey matches, according to the Kremlin. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

More: Trump says Putin call will cover Ukraine ceasefire, borders, peace deal

On Monday, the president said he intended to lay the groundwork for a peace deal and implore Putin to spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers under siege from Russian forces.

"We had to get Ukraine to do the right thing. It was not an easy situation," Trump said. "But I think they're doing the right thing right now. And we're trying to get a peace agreement done."

Last week the United States restored intelligence sharing with Ukraine and lifted a pause on military assistance, as officials awaited Russia's response to the temporary truce.

Ukraine agreed to a full 30-day ceasefire on the condition that Russia also accepted the terms of the agreement. That proposal called for a temporary freeze to the conflict and a halt to an intense aerial battle between the two nations.

Disputed territory could be monitored during that time with satellites, intelligence and drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously pushed for a truce to bar the use of missiles, long-range drones and attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure. He also offered to halt attacks on Russian ships.

Zelenskyy's government has also pushed for Russia to agree to a prisoner exchange, the release of detained civilians and the return of kidnapped Ukrainian children.

Protecting a Russian 'cash cow'

Ukraine backers immediately slammed the scaled-back agreement as one that would primarily benefit Russia.

The agreement would keep Ukraine from striking Russia's oil refineries, said Edward Fishman, the former Russia sanctions lead at the State Department in the Obama administration..

"It's a big cash cow for the Kremlin, selling petroleum products like gasoline," said Fishman, the author of "Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare."

 

A demonstrator holds a banner depicting a playing card with portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump during a rally against Trump's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, in front of the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine March 8, 2025.
A demonstrator holds a banner depicting a playing card with portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump during a rally against Trump's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, in front of the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine March 8, 2025. Valentyn Ogirenko, REUTERS
 

At the same time, Fishman said, the Ukrainians don't want to be seen as an impediment to a ceasefire. "They're in a tough spot."

Putin was likely to pull back from attacks on energy infrastructure in warmer weather anyway, said Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute.

"Recognizing the need to offer something to stay in President Trump’s good graces, he delivered only the bare minimum," said Coffey, who was senior adviser Britain's defense ministry.

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File PhotoKevin Lamarque, REUTERS
 

Zelenskyy, on a visit to Finland, said in a Telegram message that Europe must be included in any negotiations.

"Europe must be at the negotiating table, and everything that concerns European security must be decided together with Europe," Zelenskyy wrote.

The Ukrainian president has long been wary of Putin's willingness to abide by a ceasefire. He said Monday that Russia had already had a week to agree to the terms of the proposed U.S. truce − and that additional pressure is needed to force Putin's hand.

"It’s clear to everyone in the world – even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years – that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war," Zelenskyy said. "He’s saying whatever he wants, but not what the whole world wants to hear."

'Talking about land'

U.S. officials have said since the talks began that Ukraine would have to make concessions. They range from territory seized by Russia to its dream of NATO membership and include a battle for control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant.

Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and launched a large-scale attack against Ukraine in 2022. It is currently in control of roughly 20% of Ukraine's territory, much of it in the east.

Trump indicated over the weekend that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine has been the topic of early discussion. The plant is under Russian occupation.

"We'll be talking about land. We'll be talking about power plants because that's a big question, but I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides," Trump told reporters Sunday.

Ukraine is all but certain to lose out on NATO membership for the foreseeable future, U.S. officials have signaled, and it will have to give up at least some of the territory that Russia seized.

 

Donald Trump has warned he will impose high tariffs and additional sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin does not end the war in Ukraine. unbranded - Newsworthy

Russia has said that NATO membership, which it has used as a pretext for its war, is a nonstarter. It has also rejected a UK-led proposal to put European peacekeepers in Ukraine.

Ukraine has said it will not sign a peace agreement without firm security guarantees, citing Russia's history of violating ceasefires.

Trump has abstained from making security guarantees beyond an unsigned critical minerals agreement that would benefit the U.S. financially if private companies invest in Ukraine's natural resources. He has offered his support to a European peacekeeping force without detailing any potential U.S. involvement.

More: Ukraine says Putin response to US ceasefire plan 'very predictable' and 'manipulative'

In its statement after Trump's call with Putin, the White House emphasized his desire to lessen tension with Russia.

"There is also a broader strategy at play in President Trump’s approach to this war that is informed by the realization that the United States needs to reset relations with Russia," said Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said at a Council on Foreign Relations event in Washington this month.

Author: Editors Desk, Francesca Chambers USA TODAY

Source: USA Today

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