Peace By Inches: Ukraine, Russia Agree To Partial Ceasefire

Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after US President Donald Trump spoke with both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders this week, with the details to be discussed in talks in Saudi Arabia over the weekend, the Associated Press reported.

On Wednesday, Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a call that both leaders said went “well.” Zelenskyy, who had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire earlier this month, said he hoped it was a first step in what would be “lasting peace” more than three years after his country was invaded by Moscow.

During the call, Trump suggested the US could take ownership of power plants in Ukraine to ensure their security, the BBC reported.

That conversation followed one on Tuesday between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who rejected a full ceasefire in Ukraine but agreed to a 30-day halt in attacks on Ukraine’s energy plants and other infrastructure.

Putin told Trump during Tuesday’s call that he will not commit to a complete pause in hostilities, instead agreeing only to limited de-escalation measures.

The Kremlin later said the ceasefire only applies to energy infrastructure and emphasized that any broader truce would require an end to all Western military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine – a condition Ukraine and its allies have previously rejected.

It added that Moscow and Kyiv will also exchange 175 prisoners each on Wednesday, as a “goodwill gesture,” according to Agence France-Presse.

Still, the Ukrainian leader accused Putin of rejecting the ceasefire proposal after Russia launched a series of drone and missile strikes at Ukraine just hours after Tuesday’s calls.

Ukraine retaliated with its own strikes on Russian territory, with officials in the Russian provinces of Krasnodar and Belgorod reporting that Ukrainian drones ignited fires at an oil depot and damaged pipelines, NBC News added.

Observers noted that Tuesday’s call between Trump and Putin marked a shift in the United States’ stance compared with the previous week. Then, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – who participated in the Saudi talks – cautioned that if Moscow does not agree to the deal, “we’ll, unfortunately, know what the impediment is to peace.”

Despite the verbal agreement, Western officials voiced skepticism about Russia’s intentions.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius dismissed the limited ceasefire as a “zero,” pointing to continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure within hours of the call, Politico noted. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas echoed concerns, stating that “Russia does not really want to make any kind of concessions.”

Some analysts warned that Putin was stalling for time while seeking to extract further concessions from Trump.

The Russian leader has insisted that any long-term settlement must recognize Moscow’s control over occupied Ukrainian territories and include a rollback of Western sanctions.