Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to an incremental and temporary ceasefire during a marathon phone call with President Donald Trump, which included the possibility of a peace deal in the overseas conflict.
Trump and Putin began their phone call at 10:00 a.m. and it lasted at least an hour and a half before the White House signaled to reporters that the conversation was over. The White House released a summary of the call, writing that the two world leaders “agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Senior White House Officials Detail How Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Meeting Went Off The Rails)
“This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts. The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace,” the White House readout reads. “These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.”
“The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved,” the readout concludes.
The White House releases a readout of Trump’s two hour long call with Putin.
“The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full… pic.twitter.com/g8ky4xeBpN
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) March 18, 2025
Trump followed up the readout with a post on Truth Social about the call, writing that the call was “very good” and “productive.”
“This War would have never started if I were President! Many elements of a Contract for Peace were discussed, including the fact that thousands of soldiers are being killed, and both President Putin and President Zelenskyy would like to see it end. That process is now in full force and effect, and we will, hopefully, for the sake of Humanity, get the job done!” Trump wrote.
Following the phone call, Putin said that during a “detailed and frank exchange of views” he agreed to Trump’s proposal for both Russia and Ukraine to stop hitting each other’s energy infrastructure for 30 days.
“Vladimir Putin informed that on March 19, a prisoner exchange will be carried out between the Russian and Ukrainian sides – 175 for 175 people. In addition, as a gesture of goodwill, 23 seriously wounded Ukrainian servicemen who are being treated in Russian medical institutions will be transferred,” Putin’s readout says.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019. (Photo by MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019. (Photo by MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
“It was emphasized that the key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict and working towards its resolution by political and diplomatic means should be a complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv,” the Kremlin’s readout continues.
President Donald J Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday, Feb 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
At the end of February, peace talks in the Ukraine-Russia war appeared to stall after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Oval Office. The Trump administration had negotiated an agreement to jointly develop mineral extraction projects in Ukraine, but after taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office, an argument broke out between the Ukrainian president, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. (RELATED: Vance Lays Out How Zelenskyy Could Salvage Relationship With US In First Interview Since Oval Office Blow Up)
The situation ended with Trump cancelling the joint press conference and lunch scheduled with the leader, kicking him out of the White House all together, an official told the Caller. Trump then took to TruthSocial to announce that the peace talks were off.
“Not knowing how to deal with Trump, [Zelenskyy] took a very unconventional approach, somehow trying to put Trump in his place was the right posture,” a senior White House aide told the Caller about the blow-up.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during an interview with Fox News Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier on Special Report With Bret Baier at the Fox News studios on February 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Zelenskyy later went on Fox News where he expressed interest in still getting a deal done.
“United States wanted this deal very much, and we’ve been not against this deal, but we wanted to understand what parts in security guarantees will take this deal and what next steps. Just again, to understand for our people, during the war, what you don’t like, even sometimes hate? Surprises,” Zelenskyy said.
“It’s understandable. Many terrible things this war brought to us. So we don’t, we don’t want any surprises. Yes, that’s why we want to be very fair with our partners. I think this deal was prepared by teams. It was not simple during [the] weeks, and now it’s ready. I think that they have to sign. The countries have to sign. The ministers have to sign. That’s it. I don’t know when they will do it. It depends on the American side,” he told Fox News.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
