Vladimir Putin. Photo credit: Kristina Kormilitsyna, Ministry of Internal Affairs "Russia Today"
Moscow/Washington: In a telephone conversation with United States President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin played down Trump’s 30-day ceasefire request and sought cessation of the supply of foreign arms to Kyiv.
Soon after their conversation, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Trump for additional air defence systems to protect his civilians, particularly Patriot missile systems. Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe. Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants with Zelenskyy and extended American help to run them with its electricity and utility expertise. “American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure,” he told Zelenskyy. The two leaders agreed on a partial ceasefire against energy. Their technical teams will now meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to a full ceasefire. They agreed this could be the first step toward the full end of the war and ensuring security. President Zelenskyy reiterated his willingness to adopt a full ceasefire.
In Washington, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce remarked, “We cannot get to the table for negotiations to end the war without a ceasefire in place. The shooting has to stop first.” On reports of Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure overnight, she said “attacks like these are precisely why President Trump is committed to peace”.
Incidentally, Trump pursues access to Ukraine’s natural resources as a prerequisite for maintaining US support, a proposition that faces pushback from Ukrainian leadership. The White House later said that it had moved beyond the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal. When asked whether the deal with Ukraine was already agreed to and signed, Bruce said “at this point we’re dealing with a whole host of things. That is not something that is being addressed at this moment, so I can’t say what the disposition is…”.
Today was the first conversation between the US and Russian presidents since the start of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, which reached its 1,120th day today.
“A complete cessation of providing Kyiv with foreign military aid and intelligence must become the key condition for preventing an escalation of the conflict and making progress towards its resolution through political and diplomatic means,” Putin categorically told Trump.
During their discussion, Donald Trump suggested that both sides agree to a 30 -day halt on attacks targeting energy infrastructure. Vladimir Putin reacted positively to this idea and promptly issued the necessary orders to Russian forces.
Just as favourable was the Russian President’s response to Donald Trump’s suggestion to implement a well-known proposal regarding the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. The leaders agreed to begin talks to work out specific details of such an agreement.
Bruce told reporters in Washington that both President Trump and President Putin agreed on the need for this conflict to end with a lasting peace. “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,” she said.
The leaders expressed their intention to persist in bilateral efforts to find a resolution in Ukraine, with special attention to the proposals mentioned by the US President. Expert task forces from both Russia and America are being created to aid in this endeavour.
Putin said he was fundamentally committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict, but, he made it clear that this could be possible only by “reaching a settlement that would be comprehensive, reliable, and lasting, and, naturally, take into account the essential need to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, as well as Russia’s legitimate security interests”. He articulated “several important” considerations for maintaining effective control over a potential ceasefire throughout the entire frontline, and highlighted the necessity of stopping forced mobilization in Ukraine and the rearming of its Armed Forces.
Raising concerns about the “serious risks” associated with the inflexibility of the Kyiv regime, Putin claimed it had a track record of undermining and violating negotiated agreements. He laid strong emphasis on “barbaric acts of terrorism committed by Ukrainian militants against civilians residing in the Kursk Region”.
In response to Donald Trump’s recent request to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers encircled in the Kursk Region, Putin affirmed that Russia was open to humanitarian considerations. He assured that if the Ukrainian Armed Forces surrendered, their lives would be preserved and they would receive fair treatment in line with Russian law and international regulations. Putin made it known that today the Russian and Ukrainian sides were to carry out an exchange of prisoners, each swapping 175 people. Additionally, as a gesture of goodwill, 23 heavily wounded Ukrainian soldiers currently receiving aid at Russian medical facilities will also be repatriated.
Putin described the conversation with Trump as a “detailed and frank exchange of views on the situation surrounding Ukraine”. While the presidents agreed to stay in touch on all the issues raised, Putin extended his gratitude to Trump for his striving to achieve the “noble goal of ending the hostilities and loss of life”.
Trump and Putin also discussed various international matters, particularly focusing on the Middle East and the Red Sea region. They committed to collaborative efforts, aimed at stabilizing these crisis areas and enhancing cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and global security. Such initiatives are expected to foster a more positive atmosphere in the relationship between Russia and the United States. A notable instance of this alignment was seen in the recent UN vote regarding the Ukraine conflict, where both nations shared similar positions.
The leaders conveyed a shared desire to improve their bilateral relations, recognizing their unique responsibility in maintaining global security and stability. In this context, they explored numerous avenues for potential collaboration, exchanging ideas that could strengthen economic and energy ties between their countries. Additionally, Donald Trump showed enthusiasm for Vladimir Putin’s proposal to organize ice hockey matches featuring NHL and KHL players in both the United States and Russia.
It may be mentioned that President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff had earlier met Putin in Moscow on March 13, 2025, which the US termed as a very “positive and productive engagement” that paved the way for today’s talks between the two leaders. Thereafter, when asked whether the USA now trusts Putin, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded on March 14, that “it’s not about trusting, it’s about actions”.
Meanwhile, as Trump called to brief Zelenskyy on his talks with Putin, both leaders agreed to continue working together to bring about a “real” end to the war, and that lasting peace under President Trump’s leadership can be achieved. They instructed their teams to move ahead with the technical issues related to implementing and broadening the partial ceasefire. The Presidents instructed their advisors and representatives to carry out this work as quickly as possible and emphasized that in further meetings, the teams could agree on all necessary aspects of advancing toward lasting peace and security.
Also read: Russia, US hold consultations to normalise bilateral relations
– global bihari bureau
