What ARE the actual terms?
Vladimir Putin has agreed to a limited 30-day ceasefire in the form of a stop to attacks on energy and infrastructure during a high-stakes phone call with US president Donald Trump. The Russian president refused to commit to the full ceasefire sought by the US to end the war in Ukraine, but Washington said talks aimed at moving toward a broader peace plan would begin “immediately”.
The White House said the two sides agreed to hold “technical negotiations” on a maritime ceasefire, and, further, full ceasefire and permanent peace. While a statement said Putin had indeed issued an order to the Russian military to suspend strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the Kremlin made clear, maximalist demands for the fighting to end: an end to mobilization of Ukrainians and rearming its armed forces, and an end to all foreign military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, welcomed the proposal to stop strikes on energy targets, something Ukraine had already proposed in its own talks with the US in Saudi Arabia. He said he hoped to speak to Trump to get more details about the talks.
Zelenskyy also told reporters that he hoped Kyiv’s partners would not cut vital military assistance for Ukraine. He said he had spoken on the phone to key allies the French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz, and was confident assistance would continue.
Macron, Scholz and the UK’s prime minister Keir Starmer welcomed the progress made towards a ceasefire. Amid fears that Washington could prioritise securing a deal over protecting Ukraine’s interests, Scholz insisted a full truce must follow this “important first step”, and he and Macron stressed that Ukraine must be involved in peace talks. Starmer also said the goal of negotiations must be a “just and lasting peace for Ukraine”.
My colleagues Pjotr Sauer and Shaun Walker note that if upheld, a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure would mark the first partial ceasefire in more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But Russia has given no indication that it plans to halt its own regrouping during the ceasefire, raising fears in Kyiv that Putin may use the pause to prepare for further hostilities. There was also no indication that Putin had abandoned any of his most hardline objectives in the war in Ukraine…..
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Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of trying to launch cross-border attacks on Tuesday, each saying its forces had repelled attempted incursions.
Both sides said their forces were in full control of their territory on their own side of the border and had inflicted losses on enemy troops.
Russia’s defence ministry, in a statement reported by Russian news agencies, said Russian forces had thwarted five Ukrainian attempts to push across the border into its southwestern Belgorod region.
It said the attacks sought to disrupt talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump aimed at reaching a settlement to the war.
Ukraine’s military said its forces had “successfully halted all attempts by the occupiers to secure a foothold” inside the Sumy region.
Ukrainian forces launched a mass incursion into the Kursk region last August, though Russian troops have recovered much of the territory initially seized and have reported considerable gains against Ukrainian forces over the past week.
Russian forces last year pushed their way into the Kharkiv region and have in recent weeks been intensifying attacks on the Sumy region.
ISW…..Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 18, 2025
- US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated on March 16 that Ukraine will receive unspecified security guarantees in exchange for unspecified territorial concessions.
- The current frontlines do not provide the strategic depth that Ukraine will need to reliably defend against renewed Russian aggression.
- Russian officials maintain their maximalist territorial claims over all occupied Ukraine and significant parts of unoccupied Ukraine, however.
- Russian officials have given no public indications that they are willing to make concessions on their territorial or security demands of Ukraine.
- Russia continues to seize on diplomatic engagements with the United States to normalize its war demands.
- The United Kingdom (UK) convened a virtual Coalition of the Willing summit on March 15 to reiterate support for Ukraine and discuss plans for peace.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Borova and Russian forces advanced in Sumy Oblast and near Velyka Novosilka.
- The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) continues efforts to posture as solving issues with the Russian military…
Daily Kos grunt report for Today…..
“For nearly 75 years, it has been a distinctly American responsibility to have a four-star U.S. general oversee all NATO military operations in Europe — a command that began with then-World War II hero and future president Dwight D. Eisenhower,” NBC News reports.
“But the Trump administration is considering changing that.”
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A new Gallup poll finds 46% of Americans believe the U.S. is not doing enough to help Ukraine in its war with Russia, marking a 16-percentage-point increase since December to a new high in the trend that dates back to 2022.
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