U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a 30-day pause in energy infrastructure attacks in the ongoing war in Ukraine, following a phone call on Tuesday. Throughout the war, Russia has heavily targeted Ukraine’s power grid, while Ukraine has responded with strikes on Russian oil refineries and fuel depots.
However, the agreement falls short of a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire due to Moscow’s additional demands. Putin’s conditions include a halt to Western military aid to Ukraine, an end to intelligence-sharing, and a suspension of Ukraine’s military mobilization. He also demanded that Ukraine abandon its ambitions of joining NATO, and sought full control over the four Ukrainian regions Russia has captured. Additionally, Putin called for the easing of Western sanctions against Russia and a presidential election in Ukraine, which Kyiv has called premature while martial law is in place.
The U.S. administration described the agreement as a first step toward peace, but Ukrainian officials remain cautious. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that negotiations must include Ukraine and warned that any agreement that undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty or security would not be acceptable.
