Putin agrees to 30-day energy infrastructure ceasefire; Ukraine willing to consider it
Moscow stops short of agreeing to full 30-day cessation of hostilities that U.S. had sought
Ukrainian officials reported a fresh round of attacks by Russian drones late Tuesday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump touted a limited ceasefire agreement — pertaining to energy infrastructure — that his Russian counterpart had agreed to, as a sign of progress in efforts to end the all-out war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 40 drones late on Tuesday, hitting civilian infrastructure and showing that pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin must continue for the sake of peace.
"It is precisely such night attacks by Russia that destroy our energy systems, our infrastructure, the normal life of Ukrainians," Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
"Today, Putin de facto rejected the proposal for a complete ceasefire. It would be right for the world to reject in response any attempts by Putin to drag out the war."
Earlier Tuesday, Putin had agreed to Trump's proposal for a month-long halt to strikes against energy infrastructure in Ukraine, a limited ceasefire that Kyiv quickly said it would be willing to consider.
Putin possibly playing for time, experts say
But Moscow stopped short of giving the United States the full 30-day cessation of hostilities it had sought, and experts say Putin could be playing for time as Russian troops advance in eastern Ukraine.
"I am skeptical about whether this marks a serious sea change in Moscow's approach to the war," Peter Tesch, a former Australian ambassador to Russia, told Australia's ABC News.
Ben Hodges, a retired U.S. lieutenant-general who served as commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, is likewise unconvinced that much has changed.
"I think Vladimir Putin has, actually, zero interest in any true long-term settlement as long as he remains in power and that his ultimate objective still remains the destruction of Ukraine," he told Bloomberg.
Talks aimed at advancing toward a broader peace plan will begin immediately, the White House said following a lengthy call between the two leaders, but it was unclear whether Ukraine will be involved.
Putin ordered the Russian military to stop attacks against energy sites after speaking with Trump, the Kremlin said in a statement. But he again raised concerns during the call that a temporary ceasefire might allow Ukraine to mobilize more soldiers and rearm itself.
Putin also emphasized that any resolution of the conflict would require an end to all military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
Zelenskyy said his country would consider supporting the U.S. proposal to stop strikes on energy infrastructure.
"I think it will be right that we will have a conversation with President Trump and we will know in detail what the Russians offered the Americans, or what the Americans offered the Russians," Zelenskyy told reporters in an online briefing.
Negotiations on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, as well as a more complete ceasefire and a permanent peace deal, will commence immediately in the Middle East, according to a White House statement.
Kristine Berzina, managing director of the German Marshall Fund think-tank, called the limited ceasefire "a very small step forward," noting the U.S. did not secure the deal it wanted.
"This call brought to light how difficult of an interlocutor Russia is going to be and the general unwillingness of Russia to talk about making real progress in stopping this war."
Since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion, Ukraine has tried to fight back against its much larger neighbour with drone and missile strikes deep in Russian territory, including on energy facilities. Those attacks, which Moscow says amount to terrorism, have allowed Kyiv to keep pressure on Russia's economy.
That means a ceasefire on attacking energy infrastructure could benefit Russia, said Maria Snegovaya, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Following the call, Trump said he and Putin had agreed to work quickly toward a ceasefire and eventually a permanent peace agreement.
"Many elements of a contract for peace were discussed … and both President Putin and President Zelenskyy would like to see it end," Trump said in a social media post.
Ukraine said on March 11 it was prepared to accept a 30-day ceasefire, a step that U.S. officials said would lead to a more substantial round of negotiations to end Europe's biggest conflict since the Second World War.
Trump has hinted that a permanent peace deal could include territorial concessions by Kyiv and control of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Zelenskyy, who arrived in Helsinki for an official visit on Tuesday shortly after Trump and Putin's call ended, said Europe must be included in Ukraine peace talks.
Concerns among U.S. allies
The agreement on a narrow ceasefire reflects Trump's desire to normalize relations with Russia and suggests that Putin may be playing for time, said Susan Colbourn, an expert on European security issues at Duke University.
"It was striking how little concession Trump is asking from the Russians, although they invaded their neighbour," Colbourn said.
The U.S. president's overtures to Putin since returning to the White House in January have left traditional U.S. allies wary.
Ukraine and its Western allies have long described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an imperialist land grab, and Zelenskyy has accused Putin of deliberately prolonging the war.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine's sovereignty is not negotiable and Russia must surrender the territory it has seized.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on Tuesday that Russia had massively expanded its military-industrial production capacity in preparation for "future confrontation with European democracies."
Speaking at a news conference in Berlin with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, Germany's outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the limited ceasefire was an important first step but again called for a complete ceasefire. He reiterated that Ukraine must be part of any final decision.
In a call with Trump late on Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also "reiterated that all must work together to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position to secure a just and lasting peace," the British leader's spokesperson said.
Russia seized the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and most of four eastern Ukrainian regions following its invasion in February 2022. All told, it controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Putin said he sent troops into Ukraine because NATO's creeping expansion threatened Russia's security. He has demanded Ukraine drop any ambition of joining the Western military alliance.
Putin has also said Russia must keep control of Ukrainian territory it has seized, Western sanctions should be eased and Kyiv must stage a presidential election. Zelenskyy, elected in 2019, has remained in office under martial law he imposed because of the war.
With files from CBC News