Trump and Putin agree to a pause in strikes on energy and other targets in Ukraine war
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WASHINGTON — President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a lengthy call Tuesday to an immediate pause in strikes against energy and other infrastructure targets in the Ukraine war, but the Kremlin leader stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that the U.S. administration is pressing for.
The White House described it as the first step in a “movement to peace” that it hopes will include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and eventually a full and lasting end to the fighting.
There was no indication that Putin has backed away from his previous conditions, fiercely opposed by Kyiv, for considering a broader ceasefire. Russia wants Ukraine to renounce any prospect of joining the NATO military alliance, sharply cut its army and protect Russian language and culture to keep the country in Moscow’s orbit, among other concessions.
In fact, Putin during the call reiterated his demand for an end to foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.
The diplomatic effort coincided with a Russian claim that its troops have driven the Ukrainian army out of a key town in Russia’s Kursk border region.
Shortly after the call ended, air raid alerts sounded in Kyiv, followed by explosions in the capital. Local officials urged people to seek shelter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that Ukraine is open to any proposals that lead to a sustainable and just peace, but stressed the need for full transparency in discussions.
“We need to understand what the conversation is about,” Zelensky said. “What are the details? And hopefully, we will be fully informed, and our partners will discuss everything with us.”
He added: “There are two sides in this war — Russia and Ukraine. Trying to negotiate without Ukraine, in my view, will not be productive.”
Ukrainian officials had proposed a ceasefire covering the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes and the release of prisoners at their meeting with a U.S. delegation in Saudi Arabia this month.
U.S. resumes military aid and intelligence sharing as Ukraine says it is open to a 30-day cease-fire
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would present the cease-fire offer to the Kremlin, which has opposed anything short of a permanent end to the war.
Trump immediately cheered Tuesday’s development as a major step toward his goal of ending the biggest land war in Europe since World War II.
“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 social media.
Putin also told Trump that Russia and Ukraine are set to exchange 175 prisoners of war each on Wednesday, and Russia will also hand over to Ukraine 23 badly wounded soldiers, the Kremlin said.
The limited pause comes as Trump still hopes to get Russia to sign off on his 30-day ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials last week agreed to the 30-day proposal during talks in Saudi Arabia led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Zelensky, however, remains skeptical that Putin is ready for peace as Russian forces continue to pound Ukraine.
Two senior Ukrainian officials say a Kyiv delegation that will meet with America’s top diplomat in Saudi Arabia will propose a cease-fire with Russia.
The Trump-Putin engagement is the latest turn in dramatically shifting relations between their countries as the U.S. president has said it is a top priority to quickly end the conflict — even at the expense of ties with longtime American allies who want Putin to pay a price for the invasion.
In preparation for the Trump-Putin call, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff met last week with the Russian leader in Moscow to discuss the proposal. Rubio had persuaded senior Ukrainian officials during talks in Saudi Arabia to agree to the ceasefire framework.
Trump has said Washington and Moscow have already begun discussing “dividing up certain assets” between Ukraine and Russia as part of a deal to end the conflict.
Trump, who during his campaign pledged to end the war quickly, has at moments boasted of his relationship with Putin and blamed Ukraine for Russia’s unprovoked invasion, while accusing Zelensky of unnecessarily prolonging the war.
Trump had said before the call that control of land and power plants would be part of the conversation, which came on the anniversary of Russia illegally annexing Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula 11 years ago. That land grab by Putin set the stage for Russia to invade its neighbor in 2022.
Ukraine is not invited as U.S. cedes to Russian demands; Trump later blames Ukraine for the war started by Moscow.
Witkoff suggested that U.S. and Russian officials have discussed the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — Europe’s largest — in southern Ukraine.
The plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm about it, fueling fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
The plant is a significant asset, producing nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s electricity in the year before the war.
After a disastrous Feb. 28 White House meeting with Zelensky, Trump temporarily cut off some military intelligence-sharing and aid to Ukraine. It was restored after the Ukrainians last week signed off on the Trump administration’s 30-day ceasefire proposal.
In his dealings with Zelensky and Putin, Trump has frequently focused on who has the leverage. Putin has “the cards” and Zelensky does not, Trump has said repeatedly.
Trump, who has long shown admiration for Putin, has also made clear that he’d like to see the U.S.-Russia relationship return to friendlier footing.
During his recent contentious meeting with Zelensky, Trump grumbled that “Putin went through a hell of a lot with me,” a reference to the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, in which Russian operatives aided the Trump campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
President Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as an ungrateful ally risking global war in its ongoing defense against Russia.
Trump on Monday again underscored his view that Ukraine is not in a strong negotiating position. He said Russian forces have “surrounded” Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region — amplifying an assertion made by Russian officials that’s been disputed by Zelensky.
Ukraine’s army stunned Russia in August with its cross-border attack, taking control of an estimated 500 square miles of land. But Ukraine’s forces are now in retreat, and it has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip, as momentum builds for a ceasefire with Russia.
The White House said Trump and Putin also discussed the situation in the Middle East and agreed “Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.”
U.S. officials previously said that Iran has provided Russia with short-range ballistic missiles and attack drones for the war in Ukraine. The U.S. has also said that Iran has assisted the Kremlin with building a drone-manufacturing factory.
The Kremlin said that Trump also expressed support for an idea floated by Putin to organize hockey matches in their two countries between Russian and American players from the National Hockey League, which has U.S. and Canadian teams, and the Kontinental Hockey League, which has teams from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and China.
Madhani, Isachenkov and Miller write for the Associated Press. Isachenkov reported from Moscow.
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