Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine, agreeing only to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, following a phone call with US President Donald Trump.
The Russian leader declined to sign onto a 30-day ceasefire agreement that Trump’s administration had brokered with Ukrainian officials during recent talks in Saudi Arabia. Instead, Putin insisted that a full truce could only be possible if Western military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine were discontinued—a condition that Kyiv’s European allies have already rejected.
The shift in the US position marks a retreat from Washington’s stance just a week ago, when American negotiators convinced Ukrainian officials to agree to a ceasefire proposal covering land, air, and sea operations. The talks are set to continue on Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Helsinki, Finland, when the Trump-Putin call ended, expressed openness to a ceasefire protecting energy infrastructure but said he needed further details. Hours later, however, he accused Putin of rejecting a genuine truce after Russian forces launched drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
“Unfortunately, there have been hits, specifically on civilian infrastructure,” Zelensky posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Today, Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire.”
Among the reported Russian targets was a hospital in Sumy and critical power infrastructure in Slovyansk. Ukraine has suffered severe damage to its energy grid, with Zelensky stating last September that 80% of the country’s energy infrastructure had been destroyed by Russian airstrikes.
Trump, meanwhile, described his call with Putin as “very good and productive” on his social media platform, Truth Social. “We agreed to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and Infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine,” the US president wrote.
Despite Putin’s pledge to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy sector, both sides accused each other of fresh air attacks shortly after the phone call.
Zelensky claimed Russia launched over 40 drones at Ukrainian targets in the hours following the conversation. Meanwhile, Russian officials in the southern region of Krasnodar said a Ukrainian drone strike sparked a fire at an oil depot. In Belgorod, a Russian border region, authorities reported repelling a Ukrainian ground assault.
The war, now in its third year, has seen shifting territorial control. Russia recently recaptured parts of its Kursk region that Ukrainian forces had seized six months ago. Moscow continues to insist that any peace deal must recognise its control over occupied Ukrainian territories—something Kyiv has refused to accept.
Western leaders responded cautiously to the latest developments. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin, called the partial ceasefire a “first step” but reiterated his demand for a complete cessation of hostilities.
In the UK, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reaffirmed Britain’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine in a call with Zelensky.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously suggested that “the ball” was in Russia’s court after Ukraine agreed to Washington’s ceasefire proposal last week. However, the White House’s statement following the Trump-Putin call did not reference that earlier deal, instead outlining a phased approach: an immediate halt to attacks on energy and infrastructure, followed by talks on a Black Sea maritime ceasefire and, ultimately, a broader truce.
The Kremlin, however, maintained that Western military support for Ukraine remained a “key condition” in any peace negotiations. It also noted that Trump supported an unusual initiative proposed by Putin—resuming US-Russia ice hockey matches, which had been suspended following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
For Kyiv, Putin’s refusal to accept a full ceasefire appears to be a delaying tactic, allowing Moscow to maintain its battlefield momentum while imposing tough conditions on Ukraine. The Russian leader has already tested Trump’s willingness to scale back US military support for Kyiv—an effort that may continue in the coming negotiations.
Earlier this month, the US temporarily suspended military and intelligence aid to Ukraine after a heated Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelensky.
The Ukrainian president was publicly admonished by Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who accused him of being ungrateful for American support.
Chioma Kalu
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