BBC State Department correspondent
Vladimir Putin refused an immediate and complete ceasefire in Ukraine and agreed only to halt attacks on energy infrastructure following a call with President Donald Trump.
The Russian president refused to register for a comprehensive monthly ceasefire in which Saudi Ukrainians and Trump’s teams recently worked.
He said a comprehensive ceasefire could only work if foreign military aid and sharing of intelligence news with Ukraine are over. Ukraine’s European allies have previously rejected such a situation.
US discussions regarding Ukraine are expected to continue on Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Steve Witkov said.
In the Smashing Three Years’ War, Russia has recently reclaimed its territory in the Kursk region, which was occupied by the Ukrainian invasion six months ago.
The outcome of Trump Putin’s call on Tuesday called for the amount of retreat in the US standings a week ago, but the two leaders agreed that further peace negotiations will take place in the Middle East soon.
When a US delegation met his Ukrainian counterparts in Jeddah last Tuesday, they persuaded Kiev to agree to the proposal for a “immediate” 30-day ceasefire across land, air and seas.
President Volodymeaselensky, who arrived in Finland’s Helsinki for an official visit on Tuesday shortly after Trump and Putin’s call ended, said Ukraine was open to the idea of an armistice covering energy infrastructure, but wanted more in the first place.
He later accused Putin of refusing to a ceasefire following a barrage of Russian drone attacks.
Among the targeted locations were Smie’s hospitals, who said the power supply to Sloviansk was the leader of Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, there have been hits, especially with private infrastructure,” Zelensky said in X. “Today, Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a ceasefire entirely.”
Trump previously posted on social media. The call with the Russian leader was “very well productive” and said “many elements of the contract for peace were discussed.”
“We have agreed to an immediate ceasefire of all energy and infrastructure. Understanding that we will be working on a full ceasefire quickly, ultimately the end of this very horrifying war between Russia and Ukraine,” the US president said of the true society.
About 80% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was destroyed by Russian bombs, Zelensky said last September.
Kiev conducted drone and missile attacks digging deep into Russian territory at its oil and gas facilities.
Just hours after Putin agreed to halt the attack on energy infrastructure, Russia and Ukraine condemned the air attacks that had been launched on each other.
Zelensky said Russia has fired more than 40 drones at Ukraine following the call between Trump and Putin.
Meanwhile, officials from the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, said the Ukrainian drone attack caused small fires in oil warehouses.
In Belgorod, a Russian region on the border with Ukraine, the governor said the situation was “still difficult.” Moscow said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces attempted a ground attack on Belgorod but were pushed back.
After consultations in Jeddah last week, Secretary of State Marko Rubio said the “ball” was in the Russian courts after the Ukrainians accepted the proposal for a full ceasefire.
However, a White House statement following Trump Putin’s call on Tuesday did not mention that agreement with Kiev.
Instead, the two leaders agreed that “the move to peace begins with a ceasefire of energy and infrastructure,” followed by negotiations over a “maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, a complete ceasefire and lasting peace.”
However, it noted that the Kremlin’s own statement on Cole said it was a “square of important issues” regarding enforcing an agreement with Kiev. He also said that the end of Ukraine’s foreign support and intelligence was a “important condition” for Russia.
Trump and Putin agreed to immediate technical level consultations for a long-term settlement, but said the Kremlin should be “complex, stable, and inherently long-term.”
However, it is unclear whether this would mean further negotiations between the US and Russia, or a bilateral meeting between Russia and Ukraine.
The Kremlin also said Trump supported Putin’s idea of holding ice hockey games between professional US and Russian players.
Russia was frozen from an overseas ice hockey event after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Kyiv will likely see the results of Tuesday’s highly anticipated call as Putin playing over time, but he adds a crippling situation to the settlement.
Putin has previously argued that he should continue to control Ukrainian territory that Russia seized and that he is calling for Western sanctions to be eased as part of a final peace settlement.
Russian leaders are tasting Trump’s preparation to cut off US support for Ukraine, and are trying to make him repeat it as he throws the ball back to Kiev.
Earlier this month, the US temporarily suspended military and intelligence reporting aid to Ukraine after Trump and Zelensky had an argument in their oval office.
Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, dressed up Zelensky in front of global media, accusing him of being ungrateful to American support.
Speaking to French President Emmanuel Macron at a press conference in Berlin on Tuesday, German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz said a limited ceasefire plan was an important first step, but he again called for a complete ceasefire.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Kiel spoke to Zelensky after Trump Putin’s call, “repeated the unwavering support of Britain,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
