In a break in the unfolding Russia-Ukraine war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has committed to temporarily cease hostilities against Ukraine‘s infrastructure and energy targets. This followed a long phone call with ex-American President Donald Trump. The “Trump-Putin Ukraine ceasefire“ is a breakthrough in the push for the de-escalation of the war, but short of a full peace deal.
The White House indicated that Trump urged a 30-day ceasefires on bombing attacks on Ukraine‘s energy sectors throughout the phone call. Putin answered this appeal well and directed a direct instruction to the Russian army to desist from launching attacks of that kind. The step is the very first formal promise from Russia to restrain armed combat since the Ukraine invasion of 2022.
As the “Trump-Putin Ukraine ceasefire“ pact has centered on energy targets, it excludes a full-scale truce. Putin still has not committed to a total ceasefire in all conflict areas, despite Trump’s diplomatic attempts. The technical teams from the two countries will now negotiate the details of the energy ceasefire alongside negotiating other aspects of the peace process, such as a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.
The leaders decided that the process toward peace will start with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire,” the White House said. “Technical talks on more comprehensive ceasefire conditions will start immediately in the Middle East.
This temporary ceasefire provides relief to Ukraine‘s power grid, which has suffered from successive Russian missile attacks. The attacks have caused large-scale blackouts, particularly during cold winters. Ukraine has struck back by attacking Russian oil infrastructure with drones of long range.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky endorsed the “Trump-Putin Ukraine ceasefire“ accord on energy objectives. During a press conference, Zelensky underscored Ukraine‘s pledge to the moratorium. “Both Russian and Ukrainian sides are able to stop shelling the energy sector. Our side will support this,” he said.
While the energy ceasefire is a welcome step, Russia‘s wider demands are still an issue. The Kremlin has demanded an end to foreign military support for Ukraine before an agreement to proceed with peace talks. But the White House made no mention of this in their official release.
The Trump-Putin call, which lasted about two hours, was the second between the two presidents since Trump‘s departure from office. It is a key test of Trump‘s credibility in fulfilling his vow to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The White House highlighted the possibilities of better relations between the U.S. and Russia if peace is established. “The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside,” the statement read. This involves economic cooperation and geopolitical stability.
One tangible result of the call was Putin‘s promise of a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine to happen on Wednesday. The leaders also touched on the Middle East as a place for possible cooperation. Putin even floated putting U.S.-Russia hockey games on the agenda, which Trump allegedly liked.
One of the main points of the “Trump-Putin Ukraine ceasefire“ talks was whether territorial concessions would occur. U.S. diplomats have admitted that, in order to end the war, they would have to deal with territory Russia has held since 2022. Trump himself alluded to such negotiations, saying that “dividing up certain assets“ is on the cards.
We‘re going to be discussing land,” Trump said on Air Force One. “There’s a tremendous amount of land, which is a lot different than it was prior to the war, you know. We‘ll be discussing land, we‘ll be discussing power plants.
The seized Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, is a central source of contention. Russia took control of the plant at the beginning of the invasion, and its fate is a central concern in current negotiations.
Efforts to broker the “Trump-Putin Ukraine ceasefire“ gained speed after intense back-channel talks. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was at the center of the talks. Witkoff‘s latest meeting with Putin in Moscow, which was called “positive,” brought the two sides closer together.
After the meeting in Moscow, Witkoff debriefed Trump in Florida. Heartened by the advances, Trump ordered his team to prepare for the top-level phone call with Putin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz also conducted intensive diplomatic outreach to negotiate the ceasefire accord.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was optimistic about the talks. “We are on the 10-yard line of peace,” she said, pointing out that the U.S. is closer than ever to a ceasefire agreement.
Progress notwithstanding, there are still major challenges. Putin has been skeptical of the U.S.-sponsored proposal, with Russian negotiator Yuriy Ushakov calling it “nothing more than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military.”
Senior US leaders recognize that abiding peace will mean tough compromises. Waltz signaled that there were ongoing discussions about the occupied Donbas area and Crimea, occupied by Russia. “We have to discuss the reality on the ground,” he explained.
In the meantime, the White House is still keen on getting a lasting peace deal. Trump and his advisors believe stopping active fighting is important first before dealing with more contentious issues such as the borders of territories and permanent security assurances for Ukraine.
