Published: 09:31, March 20, 2025 | Updated: 09:46, March 20, 2025
Trump, Zelensky agree to 'partial ceasefire against energy' in Ukraine
By Xinhua
US President Donald Trump (right) meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb 28, 2025, in Washington. (PHOTO / AP)

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW- The White House said US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call on Wednesday agreed to "a partial ceasefire against energy" between Russia and Ukraine.

The phone call came one day after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday in their phone talks that the peace in Ukraine "will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire" in Ukraine.

US and Ukraine's "technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to a full ceasefire" in Ukraine, said a statement signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

Trump and Zelensky discussed the situation in Kursk and "agreed to share information closely between their defense staffs as the battlefield situation evolved," said the statement.

During the phone conversation, Zelensky asked for additional air defense systems, particularly Patriot missile systems, and "President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available particularly in Europe," said the statement.

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Trump also discussed Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants with Zelensky and told the latter: "The United States could be very helpful in running those plants. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure."

Zelensky wrote on X after speaking to Trump, "One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure. I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it."

However, the White House statement on Wednesday did not mention that the partial ceasefire would apply to civilian infrastructure as Zelensky suggested.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed at a press briefing later on Wednesday that all intelligence sharing between the United States and Ukraine will continue.

Separately, Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 175 prisoners captured in the Ukraine conflict on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Another 22 seriously wounded Ukrainian prisoners in need of urgent medical care were also transferred "as a gesture of goodwill," the ministry said in a statement.

It also said that the United Arab Emirates provided mediation efforts leading to the return of Russian service members