Summary
Vladimir Putin has agreed to a limited 30-day ceasefire in the form of a stop to attacks on energy and infrastructure during a high-stakes phone call with US president Donald Trump. The Russian president refused to commit to the full ceasefire sought by the US to end the war in Ukraine, but Washington said talks aimed at moving toward a broader peace plan would begin “immediately”.
The White House said the two sides agreed to hold “technical negotiations” on a maritime ceasefire, and, further, full ceasefire and permanent peace. While a statement said Putin had indeed issued an order to the Russian military to suspend strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the Kremlin made clear, maximalist demands for the fighting to end: an end to mobilization of Ukrainians and rearming its armed forces, and an end to all foreign military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, welcomed the proposal to stop strikes on energy targets, something Ukraine had already proposed in its own talks with the US in Saudi Arabia. He said he hoped to speak to Trump to get more details about the talks.
Zelenskyy also told reporters that he hoped Kyiv’s partners would not cut vital military assistance for Ukraine. He said he had spoken on the phone to key allies the French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz, and was confident assistance would continue.
Macron, Scholz and the UK’s prime minister Keir Starmer welcomed the progress made towards a ceasefire. Amid fears that Washington could prioritise securing a deal over protecting Ukraine’s interests, Scholz insisted a full truce must follow this “important first step”, and he and Macron stressed that Ukraine must be involved in peace talks. Starmer also said the goal of negotiations must be a “just and lasting peace for Ukraine”.
My colleagues Pjotr Sauer and Shaun Walker note that if upheld, a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure would mark the first partial ceasefire in more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But Russia has given no indication that it plans to halt its own regrouping during the ceasefire, raising fears in Kyiv that Putin may use the pause to prepare for further hostilities. There was also no indication that Putin had abandoned any of his most hardline objectives in the war in Ukraine.
That’s it from me, thank you so much for reading along. Jakub will be back tomorrow. In the meantime, you can read more on the limited ceasefire here:
Updated
As we’ve been reporting Moscow stopped short of giving Washington the full unconditional 30-day ceasefire it sought when Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin earlier today.
Reuters reports that Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believed Russia was clearly opposed to the idea, which Kyiv agreed to in principle at last week’s talks with US officials in Jeddah.
In a quickly organised online briefing following the Trump-Putin call, Zelenskyy told reporters that Russia had launched more than 1,300 guided bombs, eight missiles and nearly 600 long-range strike drones at Ukraine since the talks in Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine itself proposed the idea of ceasefire on energy infrastructure during the talks, he added.
“This was part of our proposal for the sky and for the sea. With the mediation of the American side, if they are the guarantors of control over the implementation of this ceasefire,” he said.
Zelenskyy also told reporters that he hoped Kyiv’s partners would not cut vital military assistance for Ukraine.
We are in constant communication. I am confident that there will be no betrayal from our partners and that the assistance will continue.
He made the remark when asked about an earlier comment by Putin, who emphasized that any resolution of the conflict would require an end to all military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said the demand by Putin, as well as another seeking to curtail Ukraine’s campaign to draft civilians into the armed forces, looked aimed at weakening Ukraine.
Updated
