Putin, Trump discuss prisoner exchange and halting attacks on energy infrastructure — Kyiv yet to respond

Earlier today, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump held a telephone conversation in which they discussed the war in Ukraine and a number of other international issues, according to statements released by the Kremlin and the White House.

The Kremlin's version

According to the Russian presidential administration, Putin expressed gratitude to the U.S. president for his “efforts to facilitate an end to [the] hostilities.” He reaffirmed Russia’s willingness to work jointly on peace negotiations, which, according to the Kremlin, should be comprehensive, lasting, and account for Russia’s security interests.

In response to Trump’s initiative for a 30-day truce, the Russian side outlined several conditions, including means of monitoring the ceasefire, halting troop mobilization in Ukraine, and stopping the rearmament of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The Kremlin also pointed to “risks associated with the Kyiv regime’s inability to negotiate” and stressed that “ending foreign military aid to Ukraine” must be a key condition for resolving the conflict.

Putin reportedly had a positive response to Trump’s proposal for a mutual suspension of strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days — and issued an order to the Russian military to act accordingly. The two leaders also agreed to begin negotiations on “ensuring the security of navigation in the Black Sea.”

The Russian president further stated that on March 19, Russia and Ukraine would each release 175 prisoners. Additionally, as a “gesture of goodwill,” Russia would hand over 23 severely wounded Ukrainian servicemen.

To continue working toward a resolution of the war in Ukraine, both Russia and the United States will form expert working groups.

Beyond Ukraine, Trump and Putin also discussed the Middle East, the Red Sea region, nuclear nonproliferation, and global security. According to the Kremlin, both sides expressed interest in normalizing bilateral relations and explored opportunities for cooperation in the economic and energy spheres. At the end of their conversation, Trump supported Putin’s idea of organizing ice hockey matches between Russian and American players from each country’s respective league — the NHL and KHL.

The White House’s version

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also issued an official statement following the phone call between the two presidents.

According to the U.S. administration, Trump and Putin discussed the need for peace and a ceasefire in Ukraine. Both leaders agreed that the conflict must end with the establishment of a lasting peace and stressed the importance of improving U.S.-Russia relations.

“The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people,” the statement read.

The White House noted that “this conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts.” The two presidents agreed that progress toward peace would begin with a ceasefire in the energy and infrastructure sectors, as well as negotiations on a maritime truce in the Black Sea — to be followed by a full ceasefire and permanent peace. According to the statement, talks towards these ends will begin immediately in the Middle East.

The leaders also discussed the Middle East as a potential area for cooperation to prevent future conflicts and emphasized the need to stop the spread of strategic weapons. The statement highlighted that “the two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.”

Trump and Putin agreed that improving U.S.-Russia relations offers “tremendous opportunities,” including the potential for major economic deals and greater geopolitical stability after peace is achieved.

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It remains unclear whether any of these agreements were coordinated with Ukraine.

Previously, Putin had expressed support for a proposal to cease hostilities, but stressed that such a move “must lead to a long-term peace” and the “elimination of the root causes of the crisis.” According to a report by Bloomberg, the Russian side has demanded an end to U.S. arms supplies to Kyiv as a condition for a ceasefire.