News Feed

'Many elements' agreed upon — Trump, Putin to discuss Russia-Ukraine war on March 18

2 min read
'Many elements' agreed upon — Trump, Putin to discuss Russia-Ukraine war on March 18
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One while flying to Washington, DC, from Florida, on March 16, 2025, above Virginia. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Editor's note: The article was updated with additional comments from President Donald Trump.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to have a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the morning of March 18 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.

"I'll be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday. A lot of work's been done over the weekend," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on March 17.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the plans for a call between the two leaders on March 18, state news agency TASS reported.

The planned call follows U.S.-led negotiations in Saudi Arabia, where Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv accepted the deal during talks in Jeddah on March 11, prompting the U.S. to resume military and intelligence support for Ukraine.

On March 13, Putin said Russia was also willing to accept the ceasefire but demanded guarantees that Ukraine would not mobilize troops, conduct training, or receive military assistance during the truce, making it potentially vulnerable to renewed Russian aggression.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was "very much" looking forward to the call with Putin, adding that "many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains."

"Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier death and it must end NOW," Trump wrote on March 17.

To discuss the proposal, U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow this week, where Putin reportedly signaled openness to the U.S. plan.

"We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can't, but I think we have a very good chance," Trump said.

When asked about potential concessions in the ceasefire talks, Trump said discussions would include territorial matters and power plants.

"I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides, Ukraine and Russia. We're already talking about that, dividing up certain assets," Trump added.

The expected phone call comes as Trump pushes to secure a deal, though European allies and Ukraine warn that a rushed agreement without security guarantees could fail to bring lasting peace.

Ukraine ceasefire faces battlefield challenges, envoy says
“There is a nuclear reactor that supplies quite a bit of electricity to the country of Ukraine. That’s got to be dealt with,” Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, said on March 16.
Article image
Avatar
Tim Zadorozhnyy

News Editor

Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.

Read more
News Feed
Video

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, war has become a daily reality for thousands of Ukrainian children. Some Ukrainian military units, such as the Azov Brigade, offer boot camps for teenagers to teach them the basics of self-defense, first aid, dry firing, and other survival skills — helping them prepare for both the realities of today and the uncertainties of the future.

Show More