Trump fails Putin on full ceasefire, Russia pledges not to hit Ukraine energy infrastructure

By Anjali Sharma

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump on Tuesday could not convince his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to agreed on an immediate and full ceasefire in Ukraine as both leaders held a 90-minute phone conversation on Tuesday, according to the White House officials.

Russian President Putin agreed not to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the official sources quoted in media reports.

Putin refused to sign the deal on a month-long ceasefire that the US finalized with Ukraine in Jeddah earlier this month.

According to the Kremlin press service, Trump and Putin discussed the potential 30-day ceasefire but the Russian side conveyed that multiple issues need to be resolved before its implementation.

Putin stressed that there is a need to establish “a mechanism to properly monitor a potential ceasefire, as well as stop forced mobilization and rearmament in Ukraine.”

“Serious risks associated with the Kiev regime’s inability to negotiate, which has repeatedly sabotaged and violated the agreements reached, were also noted,” Russian Today quoted the Kremlin press service as stated.

Mr. Putin also highlighted “the barbaric terrorist crimes committed by Ukrainian militants against the civilian population of Kursk Region.”

White House in a separate statement issued said that Putin agreed to halt attacks on energy sites for 30 days to begin with peace.

“The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on the implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace. These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East,” the White House said in a statement.

Russian President also informed Trump about the upcoming prisoner swap with Ukraine.

Both sides will exchange 175 prisoners of war and Russia will also release 30 critically wounded Ukraine soldiers in a goodwill gesture as part of the deal, sources said.

Putin told Trump that while he is committed to achieve “lasting peace”, the same will happen when “Russia’s legitimate interests in the area of security” are met and called for “the complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kiev.”

Both leaders also discussed bilateral relations and the situation in West Asia in a lengthy phone call that lasted two hours.

The plan agreed by them will need to be affirmed by Ukraine.

“The leaders agreed that 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,” said the White House in a readout of the call.

“These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East (West Asia).”

The two leaders “agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace”.

The readout also said Trump and Putin “stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the US and Russia” and that “a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the US and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved”.

They also discussed West Asia “broadly”, the readout said “as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts”.

Iran also figured in their discussion.

“The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.”

An hour into the phone call, Dan Scavino, the Deputy Chief of Staff to President Trump, posted on X: “Happening Now — President Trump is currently in the Oval Office speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia since 10 a.m. EDT.”

“The call is going well, and still in progress.”

He posted an update 40 minutes later: “Update: Call still in progress…”

President Trump first announced his plans for a call late Sunday on the way back to Washington D.C. from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

The call follows talks between Steve Witkoff, Trump’s West Asia envoy, and President Putin in Moscow last week.

Witkoff has said the meeting lasted three to four hours.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the National Security Advisor Mike Waltz met with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia earlier.

H.R. McMaster, former NSA to Trump in the first term, told Fox News that Putin’s strategy is “to get Trump and the US to accept a deal that is unacceptable to the Ukrainians and then try to turn the US not only against Ukraine but against Europe”.

The call marked a significant step in President Trump’s efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which he has maintained would never have taken place if he was in office at the time.

The air raid sirens sounded in Ukraine as explosions were heard across the country shortly after the phone call between Trump and Putin,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Putin has effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire and called for continued pressure on Putin for the sake of peace.

“Today, Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire. It would be right for the world to respond by rejecting any attempts by Putin to prolong the war,” Zelensky added.