by Colin Meyn – 03/18/25 (The Hill)
President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held a highly anticipated phone call on Tuesday, after Ukraine last week agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire in war.
Putin rejected that proposal on Tuesday, according to the Kremlin’s readout of the call, but responded positively to Trump’s proposal of a more limited 30-day ceasefire on energy facilities on both sides of the conflict.
“We agreed to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and Infrastructure, 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,” Trump said on Truth Social Tuesday afternoon.
Putin also laid down some steep demands for broader peace talks, such as the “complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv,” according to Moscow’s readout.
However, neither readout mentioned any demands for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, something the Trump administration has suggested is inevitable in a peace deal.
The U.S. in its readout said negotiations on a broader ceasefire and peace deal would begin immediately in the Middle East.
Putin rejects full 30-day ceasefire
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after securing Ukraine’s support for a 30-day ceasefire in talks last week, said it was now time for Putin to show he’s serious about peace.
The Russian leader expressed various concerns about that proposal, according to the Kremlin’s readout.
“In the context of the US President’s initiative to introduce a 30-day ceasefire, the Russian side outlined a number of significant points regarding ensuring effective control over a possible ceasefire along the entire line of combat contact, the need to stop forced mobilization in Ukraine and rearm the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” it said.
“Serious risks associated with the inability to negotiate of the Kyiv regime, which has repeatedly sabotaged and violated the agreements reached, were also noted.”
Trump, Putin back more limited ceasefire
Trump instead proposed a more limited ceasefire on energy facilities, which Putin backed, along with agreements to continue negotiations on other aspects of the war.
“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 U.S. readout said.
Russia said the idea came from Trump. It’s unclear whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is on board.
“During the conversation, Donald Trump put forward a proposal for the parties to the conflict to mutually refrain from striking energy infrastructure facilities for 30 days. Vladimir Putin responded positively to this initiative and immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding command,” its readout said.
Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has long been a focus of Russian aerial attacks. Ukraine’s ability to strike inside Russia has increased throughout the war, and on Monday, Ukrainian drones attacked a fuel facility in Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast.
Putin demands end to US support for Ukraine
The Russian side said a “key condition” for any resolution to halt the war was the end of U.S. and European support for Ukraine.
“It was emphasized that the key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict and working towards its resolution by political and diplomatic means should be a complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv,” its readout said.
The U.S. briefly halted military and intelligence support for Ukraine earlier this month, but restored it after talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in which the Ukrainian side backed the U.S. ceasefire proposal.
Ending foreign military aid to Ukraine during a ceasefire would effectively allow Russia to rearm during a truce, while throttling Ukraine’s military buildup.
One of the major sticking points to a ceasefire is how it would be enforced, and whether European troops would have a role in peacekeeping.
Mutual interest in future economic cooperation
Both Putin and Trump expressed optimism about potential economic cooperation between the countries if peace is achieved.
“The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved,” said the U.S. readout.
The Russian summary of the call noted “mutual interest in normalizing bilateral relations.”
“In this context, a wide range of areas in which our countries could establish cooperation was considered. A number of ideas were discussed that are moving towards the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the economy and energy sector,” it said.
Trump has at times threatened punishing sanctions against Russia if it refuses to stop the war in Ukraine, while repeatedly offering economic cooperation as a carrot.
More talks to come
Both sides said more talks between Russia and the U.S. were coming soon.
This includes an agreement to restore safety of navigation in the Black Sea, as well as talks toward a more comprehensive end to hostilities.
“The leaders confirmed their intention to continue efforts to achieve a Ukrainian settlement in a bilateral mode, including taking into account the above-mentioned proposals of the US President. For this purpose, Russian and American expert groups are being created,” the Russian side said.
“These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East,” said the U.S. readout.
The statements suggest the U.S. will continue it’s two-track diplomacy, shuttling between Moscow and Kyiv.
After the U.S.-Ukraine talks last week, Trump dispatched his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, for talks with Putin.
It’s unclear how the next phase of talks will be conducted with Ukraine. Trump this week revised the title of retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who is now his special envoy to Ukraine, with no role in the Russian side of talks.
