The Kremlin says it will stop hitting the Ukraine energy sector after talking to Trump and Putin

The High-Stakes Call on Tuesday to end the War in Ukraine: Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin, the Red Lines of Ukraine’s Cold War, and the Status of the Middle East

The high-stakes call on Tuesday was the latest effort by Trump to get an agreement with Russia that would end the war in Ukraine. The last time Trump talked to Putin was on February 12th, during which time both leaders agreed to visit each other’s nations.

But he said there are red lines Ukraine refuses to cross: It will never recognize occupied territories as part of Russia, it won’t reduce its army size and it won’t become a neutral state.

Putin also questioned who would monitor the deal across the front line, as well as what penalties would be for violating its terms. Russian officials have always turned down the idea of a peacekeeper contingent from NATO countries.

Ukraine wants peace more than anyone, according to an aide to President Zelenskyy. He said that they could not accept peace at any price. “We will not make any compromises that are not supported by Ukrainian society.”

The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace. The White House announced that the negotiations would start in the Middle East.

On Sunday, ahead of the call, Trump told reporters that negotiations have progressed so far that he and Putin would be discussing “dividing up certain assets,” including land and power plants.

“There are regions that we all know the Russians are focused on,” Witkoff said. A nuclear reactor supplies electricity to the country of Ukraine. That has to be dealt with. There’s access to ports. The Black Sea could have an agreement. There’s a lot of elements.

Elsewhere there were signs of some kind of detente. Following the call, Moscow authorities began taking down an installation supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine that have stood in front of the American embassy in Moscow since 2023.