Putin and Trump Agree to Halt Attacks on Energy Infrastructure, But Ukraine Ceasefire Talks Stall

Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed Tuesday to pause Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, but their highly anticipated phone call failed to produce a broader ceasefire agreement.

The U.S. and Russian leaders spoke for more than 90 minutes, with both expressing hopes of improving relations between their countries. However, Putin did not agree to Washington’s proposed 30-day ceasefire covering the entire war.

The Kremlin said Putin had ordered his military to halt attacks on Ukraine’s energy sites for 30 days, while the White House stated that “leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.”

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout the war. According to the Kremlin, Ukraine — which has struck Russian oil and gas facilities — had agreed to a reciprocal pause in attacks, though Kyiv had yet to comment.

The White House said the two leaders also agreed to begin broader peace talks “immediately in the Middle East” and described a “huge upside” if U.S.-Russia relations improved. However, the Kremlin insisted that any peace deal must include a “complete end” to Western military and intelligence support for Ukraine — a demand likely to alarm Kyiv and European its allies.

Before the call, Trump had suggested he was open to discussing “dividing up certain assets” — a reference to what parts of occupied Ukraine Russia might be allowed to keep.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that “many elements of a final agreement have been agreed to, but much remains” to be settled.

U.S. allies, wary of Trump’s overtures toward Russia, fear he may concede too much to Putin, whom he has repeatedly praised.

Ukraine, which had already accepted Washington’s proposal for a 30-day halt in fighting, urged Moscow to “unconditionally” agree to the ceasefire.

“It is time for Russia to show whether it really wants peace,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said ahead of the call.

But Putin, who has repeatedly emphasized the need for further negotiations, appeared unwilling to commit to a broader halt in hostilities.

Earlier Tuesday, before speaking with Trump, Putin delivered a combative speech criticizing the West, warning that sanctions would remain in place regardless of any peace deal. He also mocked the G7 — from which Russia was expelled in 2018 — as “too small to see on a map,” drawing applause from his audience.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Putin is not genuinely seeking peace but rather using negotiations to improve Russia’s battlefield position.

Russia has maintained relentless drone and missile attacks on Ukraine for more than three years, occupying around 20% of its territory and making incremental gains in recent months.

The Kremlin has also touted a Russian counteroffensive in the Kursk region, parts of which Ukraine seized last year in an attempt to gain leverage for negotiations.

Trump first initiated direct contact with Putin in February, breaking with Western efforts to isolate the Russian leader. The move was followed by a heated televised exchange between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, after which the U.S. temporarily suspended military aid to Ukraine.

On Sunday, Trump suggested his conversation with Putin would focus on issues related to “land” and “power plants” — a possible reference to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Trump has made ending the war in Ukraine a key election promise, blaming his predecessor Joe Biden’s policies for prolonging the war.

“It must end NOW,” he wrote on Truth Social.

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