Putin agrees to ceasefire on infrastructure, more talks

The Russian leader agreed to halt strikes on energy and infrastructure facilities for 30 days, the Kremlin said in a Tuesday statement. The news came immediately following U.S. President Donald Trump’s phone conversation with Vladimir Putin. The leaders plan further negotiations about the details of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and toward a full ceasefire leading to peace, according to the White House. The negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy didn’t immediately comment publicly Tuesday afternoon on the phone call.

The Kremlin’s statement added that Russia would swap 175 prisoners of war with Ukraine on March 19, and in case of Ukrainian surrender would grant soldiers their lives and guarantee decent treatment.

Will Russia agree to a complete ceasefire? While Ukraine agreed to the idea of a 30-day ceasefire on all fronts of fighting, Russia hasn’t yet. Tuesday’s Kremlin statement included one condition the United States statement omitted: Russia demands complete cessation of aid and military intelligence to Ukraine before making further agreements. Trump recently restored both kinds of assistance to Ukraine.

Did the two leaders speak about further Russia-U.S. relations? Both said they would work to stop nuclear proliferation and cooperate on stabilization initiatives in the Middle East, with the U.S. statement highlighting the protection of Israel from Iran. The U.S. statement also said the countries could engage in huge economic deals once peace is achieved.