Zelensky and Putin agree limited ceasefire, but implementation work in progress

Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after US President Donald Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders this week, although it remains to be seen when it might take effect and what possible targets would be off limits to attack.

The tentative deal to partially rein in the grinding war came after Russian President Vladimir Putin rebuffed Mr Trump’s push for a full 30-day ceasefire.

After a roughly hour-long call with Mr Trump on Wednesday that both leaders said went well, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that “technical” talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend would seek to resolve what types of infrastructure would be protected under the agreement.

“One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure,” Mr Zelensky said on social media following his call with Mr Trump, which came a day after the US president held similar talks with Mr Putin.

“I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it.”

During their call, Mr Trump suggested that Mr Zelensky should consider giving the US ownership of Ukraine’s power plants to ensure their long-term security, according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.

Mr Trump told Mr Zelensky that the US could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” the statement said.

The idea was floated even as the Trump administration looks to finalise an agreement to gain access to Ukraine’s critical minerals as partial repayment for US support for Ukraine during the war.

But Mr Zelensky said the conversation focused on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — which is the largest of its kind in Europe and has been under Russian control since early in the war.

He said Mr Trump posed the idea of “an understanding” in which “the United States can recover” the plant.

The call, which Mr Zelensky described as “fruitful”, came just weeks after a disastrous Oval Office meeting between the two leaders that led to Mr Trump temporarily pausing intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine.

During the call, Mr Zelensky requested additional Patriot defence missile systems. Mr Rubio and Mr Waltz said Mr Trump “agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe”.

According to the Kremlin, Mr Putin made clear to Mr Trump that there must be a cessation of foreign military aid and intelligence sharing as part of any deal.

But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt underscored on Wednesday that US “intelligence sharing in terms of defence for Ukraine” would continue.

Prior to his call with Mr Trump, Mr Zelensky said Mr Putin’s limited ceasefire pledge was “very much at odds with reality” after Russia launched an overnight barrage of drone strikes across Ukraine, including some that struck Ukrainian energy facilities.

Russia responded by saying it had halted its targeting of Ukraine’s energy facilities and accused Kyiv of attacking Russian equipment near one of its pipelines.

“Unfortunately, we see that for now there is no reciprocity on the part of the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Ukraine said Russia had launched 171 long-range drones and it shot down 75 while another 63 decoy drones disappeared from radar after likely being jammed. Russia said it had destroyed 132 Ukrainian drones in six Russian regions and the annexed Crimea.

The White House described Tuesday’s call between Mr Trump and Mr Putin as the first step in a “movement to peace”. But there was no indication that Mr Putin is ready to back away from his conditions for a prospective peace deal, which are fiercely opposed by Kyiv.

Mr Zelensky even while agreeing to work on the limited ceasefire said Mr Putin is not seriously pursuing peace talks, and wants to prolong the war until he is in a stronger position.

The White House also confirmed that technical experts from the US, Ukraine and Russia would gather in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss implementing the partial ceasefire.

Meanwhile, the two combatants said Wednesday that they had each swapped 175 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges of the war.