Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone, the conversation lasted more than 2.5 hours. A well-informed Russian source told CNN that the conversation went «very well». Later, the Kremlin stated that Putin and Trump continued their conversation.
Donald Trump «proposed a mutual 30-day cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure facilities by the conflicting parties», and Russia supported this idea. «Vladimir Putin responded positively to this initiative and immediately gave the corresponding order to the Russian military», stated the release from the president's administration following the conversation. At the same time, the Kremlin reported that the key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict should be the complete cessation of foreign military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
In addition, Putin informed Trump that on Wednesday, Russia and Ukraine would conduct a prisoner exchange on a 175 for 175 basis. Moscow «as a gesture of goodwill» will hand over 23 severely wounded Ukrainian servicemen to Kyiv.
The Trump administration released a rather extensive statement following the conversation, noting that «both leaders agreed that this conflict should end with a lasting peace».
«The blood and money that Ukraine and Russia have spent on this war would be better spent on the needs of their people. This conflict should never have started and should have ended long ago with sincere and good-faith peace efforts», the release stated, without addressing the causes of the war in Ukraine.
The White House also confirmed that Russia agreed to a ceasefire, without mentioning Putin's conditions, but stating that talks «will begin immediately in the Middle East».
Photo: Reuters