Key Takeaways: Phone call between President Trump and Vladimir Putin

Key Takeaways from Tuesday’s phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin:

Putin rejects full 30-day ceasefire 

In meetings last week in the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio secured Ukraine’s support for a 30-day ceasefire and said it was now time for Putin to show he’s serious about peace. That proposal was rejected on Tuesday by Putin. According to the Kremlin’s readout of the phone call, Putin raised several concerns about the proposal:

“In the context of the U.S. President’s initiative to introduce a 30-day ceasefire, the Russian side outlined a number of significant points regarding ensuring effective control over a possible ceasefire along the entire line of combat contact, the need to stop forced mobilization in Ukraine and rearm the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

Trump and Putin agree on a limited ceasefire

President Trump and President Putin did agree to an immediate 30-day pause in strikes against energy infrastructure in Ukraine, the White House describing this as the first step in a “movement to peace.” 

According to the White House’s readout of the call, “(t)he leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on the implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace.” These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.

Putin demands end to US military aid to Ukraine

During the call, which reportedly lasted more than two hours, Putin reiterated his demand for an end to foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. Another of Putin’s conditions for peace, opposed by Kyiv, is that Ukraine pulls back its troops from the four regions that Moscow has annexed but never fully captured, renounces any prospect of joining the NATO military alliance, and sharply cuts its army. 

However, neither side mentioned any demands for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, something the Trump administration has suggested would be inevitable in a peace deal. 

Mutual interest in future economic cooperation

Both Putin and Trump expressed optimism about potential economic cooperation between the countries if peace is achieved. According to the White House, “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.”