Russia 'not losing hope' ahead of planned Putin-Trump call, top Putin aide says
Russia is not "losing hope" ahead of a planned call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov told pro-Kremlin news outlet Kommersant on March 18.
"It's been a week since the proposal (for a 30-day ceasefire). And what are we seeing? The most powerful attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces drones on Russian territory in history. And then another attack. But we are not losing hope! We cling to everything," Ushakov said.
Russian authorities claimed to have intercepted 337 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions on March 11, marking the largest drone strike against Russia during the full-scale war.
Meanwhile, Russia continues its near-daily attacks on Ukrainian cities, launching missiles and drones at civilian and energy infrastructure.
The planned call between Trump and Putin follows U.S.-led negotiations in Saudi Arabia, where Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv accepted the deal during bilateral talks in Jeddah on March 11, leading the U.S. to resume military and intelligence support for Ukraine.
On March 13, Putin said Russia was also open to the ceasefire but demanded guarantees that Ukraine would halt mobilization, military training, and foreign aid deliveries during the truce, potentially leaving it vulnerable to renewed Russian offensives.
Trump has confirmed that he will speak with Putin on March 18, saying that many elements of a potential peace agreement are already in place.
"Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths, and it must end now," Trump wrote on Truth Social on March 17, without providing evidence to back up the figure.
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."
The upcoming talks are seen as a crucial moment in assessing whether the U.S. and Russia can negotiate a ceasefire that is acceptable to both Ukraine and Moscow.
Olena Goncharova
