President Trump spoke for nearly three hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday amid the U.S. push to secure Moscow’s agreement to a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine.
While the White House gave no indication in a readout of the meeting that there was a tangible agreement on a long-term ceasefire, there appeared to be consensus that any pause in fighting would begin with a halt in attacks on energy infrastructure.
Trump and Putin also discussed potential ceasefire agreements on matters of energy, infrastructure and maritime.
“The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace,” the White House said in a readout. “These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.”
Trump has previously said he plans to visit Saudi Arabia to meet with Putin to further discuss the ceasefire, but the precise timing of that meeting is yet to be determined by the White House.
Russian state media reported that Trump proposed a 30-day pause on attacks on energy infrastructure, and that Putin “responded positively.”
Putin immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding command, the Kremlin said in a readout of the call, and committed to talks about halting fighting in the Black Sea.
But among Putin’s demands in the call included “the need to stop” Ukraine from mobilizing troops and rearming its army. The Russian leader laid out demands that working toward a resolution of the war should include “complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv.”
Putin told Trump that a prisoner exchange with Ukraine will be carried out Wednesday, with the transfer of 175 people on each side. The Kremlin said Russia will transfer 23 seriously wounded Ukrainian soldiers being treated in Russian hospitals.
Trump and Putin also notably spoke “broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts,” the White House said. And they discussed efforts to stop the spread of “strategic weapons”; Trump has previously spoken about a desire to end nuclear proliferation.
The White House readout of the call made no mention about territorial concessions, which had been a key point of contention ahead of peace talks. Ukraine’s backers have argued Kyiv should not have to relinquish its territory to Russia.
Tuesday’s call came as the White House has intensified its efforts to stop the fighting in Ukraine. Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022 after amassing troops near the border. Russia in 2014 annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
Putin had held back endorsing the U.S.-led ceasefire following meetings in Moscow late last week with Trump’s special envoy for Middle East affairs, Steve Witkoff.
Ukraine accepted the terms of the ceasefire during high-stakes talks with Trump administration officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 11
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