Russia agreed to a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine limited to not attacking energy and other infrastructure during a phone call between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.
The Guardian reported that in a phone call with President Trump about Ukraine on March 18, President Putin agreed to a limited ceasefire within 30 days, stopping attacks on energy infrastructure and other infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump
The Russian president has refused to commit to a comprehensive ceasefire demanded by the US to end fighting in Ukraine, but Washington said talks aimed at a broader peace plan would begin “immediately”.
The White House announced that the two sides had agreed to hold "technical talks" on a maritime ceasefire and, eventually, a comprehensive ceasefire and permanent peace.
Although the statement said that Mr. Putin had ordered the Russian military to suspend attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the Kremlin made clear its maximum demands for ending the war: ending the mobilization of troops and rearmament of Ukraine's armed forces, ending all military aid and intelligence sharing to Kyiv from foreign countries, and establishing a ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
According to Russia's RT, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a "lasting peace" rather than a temporary solution to the Ukrainian conflict. Moscow considers "eliminating the root causes of the crisis", as well as meeting "Russia's legitimate security interests" and "completely ending foreign military aid and intelligence provision to Kyiv" as key elements needed to achieve this goal.
In an interview with Fox News later, President Trump said that aid to Ukraine was not discussed in the call with President Putin.
Ukraine speaks out
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed a proposal to halt attacks on energy targets that Ukraine made during talks with the US in Saudi Arabia. He said he hoped to speak with President Trump to get more details about the talks.
Mr Zelensky also told reporters that he hoped Kyiv’s partners would not cut vital military assistance to Ukraine. He said he had spoken by phone with key allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and was confident the assistance would continue.
Macron, Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed progress towards a ceasefire. Amid concerns that Washington may be prioritising reaching a deal over protecting Ukraine’s interests, Scholz stressed that a comprehensive ceasefire must be “the next important step”, and he and Macron insisted that Ukraine must join peace talks. Starmer also said the goal of the talks must be a “just and lasting peace for Ukraine”.
Prisoners and other issues
The Russian president, on the other hand, informed his US counterpart about an upcoming prisoner exchange with Ukraine, scheduled for March 19. Each side will receive 175 prisoners. In addition, Moscow will return 23 seriously wounded Ukrainian servicemen as a gesture of goodwill.
Relations between Russia and the US were also discussed, with both sides agreeing to work on projects that would benefit both countries. Washington and Moscow considered “a range of areas where the two countries could establish cooperation,” according to the Kremlin.
"The two leaders agreed that a future with improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia would bring great benefits. This includes major economic agreements and geopolitical stability when peace is achieved," the White House said.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nga-dong-y-ngung-ban-han-che-voi-ukraine-nhung-co-dieu-kien-185250319062147272.htm
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