General
Thursday Briefing
A step toward a truce in Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said a partial cease-fire would have to be monitored by the U.S.Credit…Roman Pilipey/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Ukraine agreed to halt strikes on energy sites
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine agreed yesterday to Russia’s offer of a mutual pause in attacks on energy targets for 30 days as a step toward a broader cease-fire.
He accepted the pause in a phone call with President Trump, who described the conversation as “very good.” Zelensky called the talk “positive, very substantive and frank,” making clear that he had thanked Trump for America’s support.
The two leaders spoke a day after Trump’s conversation with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s leader. It was the first time Trump and Zelensky had talked since their disastrous Oval Office meeting last month.
Trump also floated the idea that the U.S. could take control of Ukrainian power plants — an idea that Ukrainian energy experts said was probably unworkable. The White House said teams would meet in Saudi Arabia “in the coming days” to discuss broadening the pause to cover activity in the Black Sea, “on the way to a full cease-fire.”
What’s next: Zelensky said that the agreement would require U.S. monitoring, and that Kyiv would prepare a list of sites that needed protection. “Just the assertion and the word of Putin that he will not strike energy sites is too little,” he said. “War has made us practical people.”
Analysis: Most of what Putin agreed to on the Tuesday call with Trump was spun as a concession, but the Russian leader didn’t really give ground.
