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Translated by: Flutura Gashi-Mehmeti
- March 18 2025 16: 23
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The Kremlin has issued statements following the end of a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the key topic was Ukraine, and that there is agreement on the exchange of 175 prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reports.
These early reports said that the two leaders agreed "on the creation of expert groups on the issue of Ukraine" in order to work further.
It is also claimed that the Middle East region and energy were also discussed.
Talks between Trump and Putin end
The phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has ended, a person familiar with the conversation has announced.
Trump and Putin discussed for more than an hour, mainly about Ukraine and ending the war.
It is not known whether Trump or the White House will release an announcement regarding what was discussed between the two leaders.
Phone conversation has begun between Trump and Putin
US President Donald Trump's phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin is underway, according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino.
"It's happening now - President Trump is currently in the Oval Office speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia since 10:00 AM. The call is going well and is still in progress," he wrote on social media.
Trump and Putin will mainly discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
This is the second time the two presidents have had a phone conversation since Trump returned for his second term in the White House.
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of attacks as Trump and Putin talk
Photo: Associated Press
Russian and Ukrainian authorities have accused each other of attempting to carry out attacks across the border separating the two countries on Tuesday, with each claiming to have prevented the planned attacks.
Both sides have said they are in full control of the territory on their side of the border and have inflicted casualties on enemy troops.
The Russian Defense Ministry, in a statement reported by Russian news agencies, said that Russian forces managed to stop five attempts by the Ukrainian Army to enter the southeastern Belgorod region.
The Defense Ministry statement assessed that the attacks were aimed at disrupting talks between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump, a conversation that had as its central topic the achievement of an agreement that ends the three-year war.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian military has said that its forces have "successfully stopped all attempts by the occupier to gain ground" within the Sumy region.
Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers captured about 1,300 square kilometers of Russia's Kursk region in August last year. However, a Russian counteroffensive has recovered most of the territory lost in Kursk over the past week.
Zelensky supports limited ceasefire over energy infrastructure
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke from Finland on Tuesday about the phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, the BBC reports.
The Ukrainian leader has said he supports the 30-day proposal for a ceasefire over energy infrastructure, but that more "details" are needed.
"We have always supported the idea of not attacking energy infrastructure with any kind of weapon," Zelensky told the media in Helsinki.
However, Zelensky added that Putin's conditions for peace show that Russia is not ready to end the war completely.
Trump: Conversation with Putin was very good and productive
Photo: Associated Press
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin was "very good and productive" and that the agreement for Russia to stop attacks on energy infrastructure was reached with the mutual understanding that a full ceasefire will be worked towards soon.
"Many elements of a peace deal were discussed. This process has come into effect, and hopefully, for the sake of humanity, we will get this thing done!" Trump said in a post on the Truth Social network.
Trump's full post on the Truth Social platform:
"My phone call today with President Putin of Russia was very good and productive. We agreed to an immediate ceasefire on energy infrastructure, with a shared understanding that we will work quickly towards a full ceasefire, and, ultimately, an end to this very terrible war between Russia and Ukraine. This war would never have started if I were president! Many elements of a peace deal were discussed, including the fact that thousands of soldiers are being killed, and both President Putin and President Zelensky would like to see it concluded. This process is now in effect, and we hope, for the sake of humanity, that we close this deal!" the US president said.
Trump and Putin agree to immediately begin ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine
Trump - Putin (Photo from the archive)
Photo: Associated Press
Russia has agreed to a limited ceasefire over energy and infrastructure targets in Ukraine as part of a US-led initiative to end the Russian occupation of Ukraine, the White House confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement released after Donald Trump's phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the White House said the two sides had agreed to hold "technical negotiations" for a naval ceasefire, and, further, a full ceasefire and permanent peace, The Guardian reports.
"These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East," the White House announced.
Trump and Putin also "agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the US and Russia has great advantages," with "major economic agreements and geopolitical stability."
"Both leaders agreed that this conflict must end with a lasting peace. They also emphasized the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have spent on this war would be better spent on the needs of their people. This conflict should never have started and should have ended long ago with sincere and good-faith efforts for peace," the statement said.
The leaders have agreed that the move towards peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations for the implementation of a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, a complete ceasefire and permanent peace.
Iran and Israel
“The leaders spoke at length about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. They further discussed the need to stop the proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application. Both leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel. Both leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has great advantages. This includes major economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace is achieved,” the White House statement concluded.
Putin's long list of conditions and demands
The statement issued by the official Kremlin announced that during the telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, the Russian side "outlined a number of important points" that require further consideration, including "effective control" over any ceasefire along the conflict line, and Russia's demand for a halt to the mobilization of Ukrainians and the renewal of its armed forces, along with the broader demand to "eliminate the root causes of the crisis."
The statement cites Moscow's "key condition" to prevent further escalation of the conflict with a demand to "completely stop" foreign military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine, The Guardian reports.
But the statement confirms that Putin has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire regarding energy infrastructure and said the Russian leader has already issued the relevant orders.
The Kremlin text notes that Putin "has reacted constructively" to the proposal for a ceasefire at sea, with further negotiations expected on the issue.
The statement also said Putin informed Trump of plans to exchange 175 prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine "as a gesture of goodwill" as well as a further release of 23 "seriously wounded" Ukrainian soldiers.
It also mentioned the leaders' discussions regarding the Middle East and the Red Sea, as well as the broader push for "normalization of bilateral relations."
