Talks explore limited halt in attacks on energy facilities but lasting peace remains far off

Apartial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is likely after US President Donald Trump held separate phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The March 19 call with Zelensky came one day after Trump and Putin agreed that peace in Ukraine “will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire”.

US and Ukraine “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 Adviser 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.

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.”

Following the phone talks with Trump, Zelensky said in a post on X: “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 March 19 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 that day that all intelligence sharing between the United States and Ukraine will continue.

The partial ceasefire plan for the Russia-Ukraine conflict agreed upon on March 18 during the phone call between Trump and Putin has received mixed reaction from global political leaders and experts.

Both sides published statements following the conversation, described by the White House as the first step in a “movement to peace”, which agreed on a limited ceasefire against targeting infrastructure and energy facilities, but did not address a full cessation of the conflict.

The Kremlin’s statement contained a list of demands to avoid escalation, which included a total stop to foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Beijing is “glad to see all efforts that lead to a ceasefire and believes that this is a necessary step to realize peace”.

In an online briefing after the call, Ukrainian leader Zelensky said he welcomed the proposals as Kyiv supports any proposals that would lead to a lasting and just peace.

On March 19, the Trump-Zelensky phone conversation lasted roughly one hour, with much of it focused on Trump’s discussion with Putin.

In a social media post, Trump said the call was to “align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs” as he seeks to bring about a ceasefire between the two countries. “We are very much on track,” he added.

Earlier on March 19, Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of launching air attacks that damaged infrastructure just hours after their leaders agreed in principle to the limited ceasefire halting such attacks.

Zhang Hong, a researcher at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said a key point of contention during the US-Russia talks was that the two negotiating parties had divergent preferences regarding the pace and desired outcomes of the peace process.

“The US seeks a swift resolution, while Russia emphasizes sustainability. Trump aims for an unconditional and rapid ceasefire, but Russia insists on a guaranteed, sustainable one, leading to asymmetrical demands,” Zhang said. “Russia wants to address all issues at once, but neither Trump nor Ukraine is ready for this.”

The limited focus of the ceasefire seems to have been tactical. “Ukraine’s strikes on Russia’s energy facilities have disrupted Russia’s economy, while Russian bombing has left Ukraine with power shortages. Both sides have suffered … leading to a consensus to stop them,” said Zhang.

“However, the ongoing fighting shows that the pause in targeting infrastructure is mainly to address civilian needs. The two sides haven’t reached an agreement on more intense issues such as the military conflict and security,” he added.

Contact the writers at julian@mail.chinadailyuk.com