President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin took the first steps toward a permanent ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia Tuesday with a preliminary agreement to ‘an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.’
The partial ceasefire agreement will be in affect for 30 days.
‘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. These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East,’ the White House said in its readout.
Putin also offered his conditions for a permanent end to the fighting, saying he wants a suspension of all weapons deliveries to Ukraine during the ceasefire, according to the Kremlin readout.
European allies, however, are worried that could result in Moscow rearming itself during a ceasefire, leaving Kyiv to play catchup.
The Russian president agreed to send back 23 critically injured Ukrainian prisoners.
Additionally, Trump and Putin stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. They also agreed Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel, the White House said.
And Trump supports Putin’s idea for an ice hockey game between U.S. and Russian players, the Kremlin noted.
The two leaders conversation lasted about two hours, beginning around 10 am ET and concluding at noon. Trump spoke from the Oval Office, where he was joined by Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Europe must be a part of any negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.
‘Europe must be at the negotiating table, and everything that concerns European security must be decided together with Europe,’ he said in a statement.
Tuesday morning’s call was the first known conversation between Trump and Putin since Ukraine agreed last week to support a U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire as long as Russia does the same.
Trump went into the call confident he could get a ceasefire deal.
‘We can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace and I think we’ll be able to do it,’ he said on Monday.
The White House did not rule out any option to get its deal – whether it’s conceding to Russian wishes to hold onto Ukrainian territory or threatening the Kremlin with sanctions.
‘All options are on the table,’ National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said before the call. ‘Absolutely.’
The White House had said sanctions were an option if Tuesday’s conversation didn not go as President Trump hoped.
‘It’s something the president has floated, and certainly he’s willing to do that if necessary,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in her briefing on Monday.
Another option the administration has been considering is recognizing Ukraine’s Crimea region as Russian territory, Semafor reported.
Negotiators have already discussed ‘dividing up certain assets’ in order to end the three-year-old war, Trump said on Air Force One on Sunday.
Part of the old Soviet Union, Crimea was recognized as part of Ukraine when that country was formed in 1991.
But Putin has long seen Crimea as his nation’s territory.
In 2014, the peninsula on the coast of the Black Sea was occupied by Russian forces and annexed by Moscow, but most countries recognize Crimea as Ukrainian territory.
Russia was expelled from the G8 – as it was known then – for its aggressive actions in taking the region. Many countries – including the United States – also slapped economic sanctions on Moscow for the move.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is firmly against any territorial concessions and European allies could back him.
He has said Putin cannot be trusted.
