The White House is racing to fulfill President Donald Trump’s pledge to end the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Officials from Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv will soon meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss the next steps.
These new developments follow President Trump’s recent phone calls with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Both sides have reportedly agreed to pause attacks specifically targeting energy facilities.
However, important details about the ceasefire remain uncertain. This temporary halt seems less comprehensive than the 30-day ceasefire previously proposed by the United States and agreed upon by Ukraine earlier this month.
Different Interpretations of Trump’s Calls With Zelensky and Putin
According to transcripts released by Trump’s administration, Zelensky and Trump agreed on a partial ceasefire specifically relating to energy facilities. Both nations will send technical teams to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to finalize the exact terms. Discussions might even include extending the ceasefire to areas like the Black Sea.
Interestingly, the U.S. State Department clarified no senior-level cabinet officials would attend these talks. This raised further questions about how authoritative the upcoming discussions will actually be.
Confusion Over Specific Details
There remains confusion and skepticism regarding exactly what Trump agreed upon with Putin in their private conversation on Tuesday. Ukraine continues facing ongoing Russian bombardments, raising concerns about Russia’s sincerity regarding this temporary ceasefire.
In a press conference on Wednesday evening, Zelensky stated the ceasefire “most likely” refers specifically to “energy targets,” but added cautiously that attacks on civilian infrastructure were still under consideration.
“We received a clear signal from the American side,” Zelensky said, adding, “It seems we are mainly talking about stopping attacks on energy infrastructure on both sides, rather than all civilian targets.”
The White House and the Kremlin also published separate records of Trump’s conversation with Putin, each describing the ceasefire differently. Washington mentioned “energy and infrastructure,” while Moscow specifically mentioned “energy infrastructure,” a subtle linguistic difference potentially indicating different intentions and expectations.
Asked about these discrepancies, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred reporters back to the White House’s official statement. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz issued a joint statement earlier, specifically mentioning “energy” alone.
Ukraine’s Response and Next Steps
After Tuesday’s call between Trump and Putin, Zelensky agreed to a temporary ceasefire, although he openly questioned Putin’s genuine intentions. Russia launched fresh attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities overnight, raising further skepticism.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy deeply involved in negotiations, believes these strikes were authorized before Trump’s conversation with Putin. Yet Russian attacks continued even after Wednesday’s conversations.
Rubio and Waltz reported that Trump briefed Zelensky on his discussions with Putin. Trump and Zelensky agreed their defense personnel would closely share information as battlefield developments unfold.
Ukraine plans to send representatives to Saudi Arabia shortly, Zelensky announced via social media, stating: “We’ve instructed our representatives to start working on this immediately.”
Zelensky also requested additional Patriot missile air defense systems. Trump responded positively, indicating his administration would assist Ukraine in finding available systems, especially in Europe.
Controversial US Offer on Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure
The conversation also raised fresh concerns about U.S. policy toward Ukraine. Trump reportedly suggested the U.S. could significantly assist Ukraine by taking operational control of Ukrainian power and nuclear plants, stating U.S. ownership could provide stronger security guarantees.
It’s unclear whether Zelensky fully embraced such an idea. This controversial proposal parallels earlier discussions regarding U.S. involvement in Ukrainian mineral resources, which also never reached a formal agreement.
Trump administration officials argued American asset ownership in Ukraine would provide enhanced security assurances, strengthening U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s protection.
Optimism from the White House Despite Remaining Questions
Overall, the White House described the Zelensky-Trump call as “excellent.” This contrasts sharply with their last meeting 19 days ago, when a heated Oval Office argument caused Zelensky to abruptly leave the White House.
While the White House sees this temporary ceasefire as the critical first step toward sustainable peace, significant doubts remain regarding Putin’s sincerity and Trump’s actual promises. Clearly, achieving Trump’s goal of a lasting peace deal remains complicated and uncertain.
