On March 18, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a phone call dedicated to the war in Ukraine, specifically discussing a temporary ceasefire. Following the negotiations, which lasted more than an hour and a half, both the Kremlin and the White House issued a series of statements.
Trump on His Conversation with Putin
The U.S. president called his conversation with the Kremlin leader "very good and productive."
In a post on the TruthSocial platform, Trump stated that he had agreed with Putin on an immediate ceasefire concerning energy and infrastructure.
"We agreed on an immediate ceasefire regarding the entire energy and infrastructure sector, with the understanding that we will quickly work towards a full ceasefire and, ultimately, the end of this terrible war between Russia and Ukraine," the White House leader wrote.
Donald Trump once again claimed that the war would never have started if he had been president of the United States. He also mentioned that he discussed many elements of a peace agreement with the Russian leader and expressed hope that this process could be completed "for the sake of humanity."
"Many elements of the peace treaty were discussed, including the fact that thousands of soldiers are dying, and both President Putin and President Zelensky would like this to end," Trump said, detailing the conversation.
Kremlin's Statement
Following Trump and Putin’s conversation, the Kremlin reported that the presidents of both countries "exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine in detail and openly."
According to an official statement on the Russian leader’s website, Vladimir Putin expressed readiness to work jointly with the U.S. on possible resolution pathways.
At the same time, the Kremlin emphasized the "unconditional necessity of eliminating the root causes of the crisis" and ensuring the security of Russia’s "legitimate interests."
It was noted that Putin agreed to a mutual halt in strikes on energy infrastructure facilities for 30 days and immediately issued the corresponding command to the Russian military.
Regarding the security initiative for shipping in the Black Sea, both sides agreed to begin negotiations to develop an appropriate agreement.
Meanwhile, the Russian leader put forward several demands that he had mentioned even before the conversation with Trump.
In particular, the Kremlin demands that, during the truce:
- Ukraine halts forced mobilization and rearmament of its Armed Forces;
- All foreign military aid and intelligence support to Kyiv cease completely;
- A mechanism be established to monitor the ceasefire along the frontline.
Additionally, the statement emphasized the alleged "unreliability of the Kyiv regime, which has repeatedly sabotaged and violated previous agreements."
The Kremlin also reiterated its stance on the situation in the Kursk region, repeating the Russian dictator's claim about the surrender of Ukrainian soldiers.
"Vladimir Putin confirmed that the Russian side is ready to act on humanitarian considerations and, in the event of surrender, guarantees Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers life and dignified treatment in accordance with Russian laws and international law norms," the Russian president’s website stated.
The Russian side announced that a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine would take place on March 19, in a 175-for-175 format. Additionally, as a "gesture of goodwill," Russia would hand over 23 severely wounded Ukrainian servicemen.
It was noted that the presidents would continue to maintain contact. Furthermore, Russian and American expert groups would be established to "continue efforts towards Ukrainian settlement in a bilateral format."
Other topics of discussion included the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea region. The Kremlin stated that both sides would make joint efforts to enhance cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and global security. This, in turn, would help improve the overall climate of Russian-American relations, according to Moscow.
"One of the positive examples is the joint voting at the UN on the resolution concerning the Ukrainian conflict," the Kremlin recalled, referring to events on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, when the United States refused to vote at the UN for a resolution condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine and instead proposed its own version of the document.
White House Statements
In a statement from the U.S. president’s administration, it was emphasized that Trump and Putin’s conversation was dedicated to the issue of a Ukraine-Russia truce.
During the talks, "the leaders agreed that the conflict must end with a lasting peace" and agreed on initial steps to achieve a ceasefire.
"The leaders agreed that the path to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on the implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, a full ceasefire, and a permanent peace," the White House stated, adding that such negotiations would begin immediately in the Middle East.
The U.S. president’s office noted that both leaders agreed that a future with improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia holds significant benefits.
"This includes major economic deals and geopolitical stability after achieving peace," Washington reported.
Regarding the Middle East topic during Trump and Putin’s talks, the White House stated that the leaders discussed the region in the context of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts.
Additionally, Trump and Putin expressed the necessity of halting the proliferation of strategic weapons and agreed to collaborate with other countries on this issue. Both leaders shared the view that Iran must never be capable of destroying Israel, the U.S. president’s office stated.
