Trump speaks with Putin to discuss Ukraine ceasefire: White House

WASHINGTON, DC US President Donald Trump held a crucial phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to secure a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. The Trump administration is pushing for an immediate halt to hostilities after Ukraine agreed to a temporary cessation of fighting, provided Russia does the same, ABC News reported.

Trump has made clear his intention to mediate a resolution between the two nations, emphasising the need for a swift de-escalation of violence. “It’s a bad situation in Russia, and it’s a bad situation in Ukraine,” he said on Monday. “What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace, and I think we’ll be able to do it.” His remarks come as both sides continue to grapple with intensifying clashes, particularly in the Kursk region.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino confirmed the Trump-Putin call. “Happening Now–President Trump is currently in the Oval Office speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia since 10:00 am EDT. The call is going well, and still in progress,” Scavino posted on X.

Happening Now—President Trump is currently in the Oval Office speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia since 10:00amEDT. The call is going well, and still in progress.

— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) March 18, 2025

According to the ABC News, it is the first known call between Trump and Putin since peace talks between the US and Ukrainian officials a week ago in Saudi Arabia yielded Kyiv agreeing to an immediate, temporary stop to hostilities should Moscow do the same.

While Trump remains hopeful, Putin has been noncommittal on the ceasefire proposal. The Russian leader has expressed conditional support, seeking additional security guarantees before agreeing to pause hostilities. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Putin of deliberately prolonging the conflict and obstructing peace efforts.

A Ukrainian official familiar with the negotiations told ABC News that Kyiv is closely monitoring the Trump-Putin discussion, emphasising that Ukraine accepted the ceasefire “with zero conditions” and warning that any additional demands from Russia would not be tolerated, reported ABC News.

Trump has framed his involvement in the negotiations as a humanitarian effort, stressing the urgency of halting bloodshed. “A lot of people are being killed over there. And, we had to get Ukraine to do the right thing. It was not an easy situation. You got to see a little glimpse at the Oval Office, but I think they’re doing the right thing right now. And we’re trying to get a peace agreement done. We want to get a ceasefire and then a peace agreement,” he said Monday.

The outcome of Trump’s talks with Putin could have significant implications for the three-year-old war, which began when Russian forces invaded Ukraine. A key question remains: how far is Trump willing to go to pressure Russia into accepting a ceasefire and a broader peace settlement?
The Trump administration recently took decisive steps, including pausing some military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine following a contentious Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy. These measures were reinstated only after Ukraine agreed to the US-backed ceasefire proposal last Tuesday, ABC News reported.

Beyond the immediate ceasefire talks, broader geopolitical factors remain at play. US officials have signaled that a full Ukrainian return to prewar borders is unrealistic and have ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine. However, the administration has not imposed similar conditions on Russia. This asymmetry raises questions about the broader strategic interests at stake in the negotiations.

Trump has hinted at potential compromises involving land and power plants as part of a larger settlement. Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, he said, “Well, I think we’ll be talking about land. It’s a lot of land. It’s a lot different than it was before the wars, you know. And we’ll be talking about land, we’ll be talking about power plants. That’s a big question, but I think we have a lot of it already discussed, very much by both sides.”

Although Trump has suggested financial pressure as a potential tool to push Russia toward compliance, he expressed hope that such measures would not be necessary. “There are things you could do that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense,” he noted last week.

“I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace.” (ANI)