The tentative deal to partially rein in the war came after Russian President Vladimir Putin rebuffed Mr Trump's push for a full 30-day ceasefire.
The difficulty in getting the combatants to agree not to target one another's energy infrastructure highlights the challenges Mr Trump will face in trying to fulfil his campaign pledge to quickly end the war.
After a roughly hour-long call with Mr Trump on Wednesday that both leaders said went well, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that “technical” talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend would seek to resolve what types of infrastructure would be protected.
But it was immediately clear that the three parties had different views about what the pact entailed, with the White House saying “energy and infrastructure” would be covered, the Kremlin saying the agreement referred to “energy infrastructure”, and Mr Zelensky saying he would also like railways and ports to be protected.
“One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure,’ Mr Zelensky said on social media following his call with Mr Trump, which came a day after the US president held similar talks with Mr Putin.
“I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it.”
During their call, Mr Trump suggested that Mr Zelensky should consider giving the US ownership of Ukraine’s power plants to ensure their long-term security, according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Mr Trump told Mr Zelensky that the US could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,’ the statement said.
Mr Trump suggested “...
The difficulty in getting the combatants to agree not to target one another's energy infrastructure highlights the challenges Mr Trump will face in trying to fulfil his campaign pledge to quickly end the war.
After a roughly hour-long call with Mr Trump on Wednesday that both leaders said went well, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that “technical” talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend would seek to resolve what types of infrastructure would be protected.
But it was immediately clear that the three parties had different views about what the pact entailed, with the White House saying “energy and infrastructure” would be covered, the Kremlin saying the agreement referred to “energy infrastructure”, and Mr Zelensky saying he would also like railways and ports to be protected.
“One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure,’ Mr Zelensky said on social media following his call with Mr Trump, which came a day after the US president held similar talks with Mr Putin.
“I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it.”
During their call, Mr Trump suggested that Mr Zelensky should consider giving the US ownership of Ukraine’s power plants to ensure their long-term security, according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Mr Trump told Mr Zelensky that the US could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,’ the statement said.
Mr Trump suggested “...
You're reading a preview of
The Chronicle (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 21, 2025