in Ukraine conflict

By America-Today  March,19 2025

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin

agreed during a lengthy call Tuesday to an immediate pause in strikes against energy

infrastructure in the Ukraine war, but the Russian leader stopped short of backing a

broader 30-day pause in fighting that the U.S. administration is pressing for.

The White House described it as the first step in a “movement to peace” that it hopes

will include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and eventually a full and lasting end

to the fighting. But there was no indication that Putin has backed away from his

conditions for a prospective peace deal, which are fiercely opposed by Kyiv. And shortly

after the call ended, air raid alerts sounded in Kyiv, followed by explosions in the city.

Local officials urged people to seek shelter.

Putin during the call reiterated his demand for an end to foreign military and

intelligence assistance to Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. Trump, though, denied

that the subject came up during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.