Prisoner exchange and cessation of energy strikes: What Trump and Putin discussed
Russian propaganda outlet RIA Novosti detailed a phone conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, focusing on normalizing relations and addressing the Russia-Ukraine war.
Putin informed Trump of a planned exchange of 175 prisoners of war each between Russia and Ukraine, set for Wednesday.
He also endorsed Trump’s proposal for a 30-day mutual pause on attacks targeting energy infrastructure, issuing immediate orders to Russian forces.
The leaders explored a broader 30-day ceasefire, but Putin raised “significant points,” demanding an end to Ukraine’s “forced mobilization” and “rearmament” of its forces.
Russia further insisted on two key conditions for a peaceful resolution: a complete halt to international aid and intelligence support to Ukraine, claiming Kyiv’s regime is “not capable of honoring agreements” and has repeatedly “sabotaged” past deals.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the energy and infrastructure truce, adding that Trump and Putin agreed to kick off “technical negotiations” for a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, aiming toward a full and lasting peace.
The talks, lasting over two hours starting after 9 a.m. ET on March 18, also touched on the Middle East. Both leaders agreed to curb the spread of strategic weapons and stressed that Iran must never threaten Israel’s existence.
More about the conversation between Trump and Putin
Ahead of the call, Trump expressed optimism about ending the war.
“We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance,” he said.
A Russian source cited by CNN described the dialogue as “very good.”