Kremlin demands halt to foreign military aid, intelligence to Ukraine as condition for avoiding war escalation
The Kremlin has demanded a complete cessation of foreign military aid and intelligence to Ukraine as a "key condition for avoiding an escalation of the war," according to its statement released on March 18.
The Kremlin's statement follows a 1.5-hours phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, during which they discussed ending the war in Ukraine and the U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire to allow for further peace talks.
In addition to halting foreign military aid and intelligence, the Kremlin also called for Ukraine to cease the mobilization and rearmament of its military.
During the call, Putin announced that on March 19, Ukraine and Russia would conduct a 175-for-175 prisoner exchange. Moscow also pledged to release more than 23 seriously wounded Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv.
The two parties agreed to set up Russian and American expert groups to "resolve the war bilaterally."
Putin also praised Trump for "striving to promote the noble goal of ending hostilities and the loss of life."
Martin Fornusek
Ahead of the call, Trump spoke with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who told him that Ukraine must be in the "strongest possible position" to secure a "just and lasting peace," Sky News reported.
The phone discussion follows the U.S. and Ukraine agreeing on a 30-day ceasefire during talks in Jeddah on March 11, provided that Russia abides by it. Washington subsequently resumed military and intelligence support for Ukraine after suspending it the previous week.
To discuss the proposal, U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow on March 13.
Later that day, Putin signaled that Russia was also open to the ceasefire but demanded guarantees that Ukraine would not mobilize troops, conduct training, or receive military assistance during the truce, potentially leaving Kyiv vulnerable to renewed Russian offensives.
After taking office in January, Trump has initiated direct negotiations with Russia, marking the first such talks between the U.S. and Moscow since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
American and Russian delegations met in Riyadh on Feb. 18 and in Istanbul on Feb. 27 to discuss a path toward ending the war and restoring diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Russia.
Trump has made securing a swift settlement to the war a priority, but his administration's approach has sparked fears that Washington is sidelining Kyiv and its European partners.
The U.S. president previously held a call with Putin on Feb. 12, after which he announced that negotiations to end the war would begin "immediately."
A possible in-person meeting between the two presidents will depend on whether "we can make any progress" on ending the war, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Feb. 20.
Shlomo Ben-Ami
