Putin's Ceasefire Demands Raise Doubts About His Seriousness
The demands put forth by Russia's leader to diminish Ukraine's strength could undermine any potential peace agreement. When Donald Trump initiated talks with Vladimir Putin, he proposed a straightforward request: a 30-day ceasefire involving land, sea, and air, which Ukraine had already agreed to as a foundation for peace efforts. However, instead of a clear commitment, Trump received ambiguous responses, limited concessions, and a striking demand from Putin aimed at weakening Ukraine, which could render any peace deal ineffective.
According to a Kremlin statement following the call, the "key condition" for resolving the conflict should be the complete cessation of foreign military aid and intelligence support to Kyiv. This would require not only the U.S. but all of Ukraine's international allies, including Britain and France, to halt their military support and abandon plans for a post-conflict security force designed to protect Kyiv, allowing it to reopen its ports and airports and secure utility supplies.
This demand is far from acceptable to Ukraine, which has spent three years resisting Russia, suffering tens of thousands of casualties while preventing a full takeover, despite losing about a fifth of its territory that it acknowledges cannot be reclaimed through combat. The boldness of the demand raises doubts about Putin's seriousness. Matthew Savill, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, described the Kremlin's stance as "incompatible" with the European-led security plan.
It remains unclear how strongly Trump pushed for the full 30-day ceasefire proposal, which had been negotiated with Ukraine by his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. Lord Ricketts, a former UK national security adviser, speculated that the proposal might have been designed to ensure a rejection from Zelenskyy, thus relieving pressure on Putin.
European leaders, including those from France and Germany, expressed their continued support for Ukraine during a press conference. French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside Germany's Olaf Scholz, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine's resistance efforts.
Trump did manage to secure a more modest agreement: Putin's commitment to stop bombing Ukraine's energy infrastructure if Kyiv agreed to refrain from similar attacks. Over the past three years, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's power plants, leaving little non-nuclear energy generation, which Moscow's forces are reluctant to attack. Meanwhile, Ukraine is being asked to cease its destabilizing refinery attacks in Russia, although any reduction in hostilities is welcome.
Orysia Lutsevych, a Ukraine expert at Chatham House, noted that the arrival of spring means Kyiv gains little from a 30-day pause in energy attacks. She described Putin's offer as a gesture to maintain Trump's interest and potentially achieve a larger goal: the U.S. abandoning Ukraine.
Despite this, the White House announced that both sides would begin "technical negotiations on implementing a maritime ceasefire." Trump added that there was an understanding to work quickly toward a complete ceasefire, although Russia obscured this point. The Kremlin emphasized that Ukraine would be excluded from the talks, with leaders confirming their intention to pursue a Ukrainian settlement bilaterally, restoring legitimacy to a nation isolated and sanctioned by the West due to its aggression and war crimes.
While discussions continue, there is concern that Russia may use them to separate the U.S. from Europe. Meanwhile, Trump and Putin agreed to organize ice hockey matches between American and Russian league players, ensuring that at least the puck keeps moving.