
Trump and Putin agree to limited ceasefire in Ukraine war
Clip: 3/18/2025 | 3m 57sVideo has Closed Captions
Trump and Putin agree to pause strikes on energy infrastructure in Ukraine war
President Trump and Russian President Putin agreed to a limited ceasefire in Ukraine. It came after they spoke for more than two hours on a call and agreed that Russia and Ukraine should stop attacks on each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days. Nick Schifrin reports.
Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by...

Trump and Putin agree to limited ceasefire in Ukraine war
Clip: 3/18/2025 | 3m 57sVideo has Closed Captions
President Trump and Russian President Putin agreed to a limited ceasefire in Ukraine. It came after they spoke for more than two hours on a call and agreed that Russia and Ukraine should stop attacks on each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days. Nick Schifrin reports.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipGEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."
Two major international stories top the news tonight.
Israel resumed hitting Gaza with airstrikes overnight, shattering the fragile cease-fire there.
AMNA NAWAZ: The Israeli bombardment killed more than 400 people, according to officials in Gaza.
In the meantime, President Trump spoke for more than two hours today with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
They agreed that Russia and Ukraine should stop attacks on each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days.
Nick Schifrin is here now with more.
So, Nick, what exactly did Putin and Trump agree to today?
NICK SCHIFRIN: President Trump called the call - - quote -- "very good and productive," and Putin ordered his military to pause all attacks on energy infrastructure for one month.
And, as you know, Amna, for years, that has been one of the hallmarks of Russia's campaign against Ukrainian civilians.
More recently, Ukraine has launched its own attacks against Russian energy facilities, and tonight Zelenskyy suggested that he was open to a mutual pause, but he admitted that he had no idea the details of what Trump and Putin discussed.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, Ukrainian President (through translator): We support all steps aimed at the end of the war, but in order to support them, we need to understand what exactly we support.
When President Trump has time -- he's a busy man -- when he has time, he can call me any time.
He has my phone number.
We are ready to talk through further steps, with pleasure.
NICK SCHIFRIN: So perhaps a little frustration there from Zelenskyy, Amna.
And, tonight, Ukraine says that Russia launched a major drone and missile attack against Kyiv.
AMNA NAWAZ: And we understand Vladimir Putin actually went further on these demands to expand on the cease-fire?
What should we understand about that?
NICK SCHIFRIN: Yes, remember the context for this call.
The U.S. pressured and got Ukraine to agree to a 30-day full cease-fire across the front line.
So President Trump entered this call wanting Putin to agree to a full cease-fire, and Trump did not get that.
And further, Putin, as you just said, went further.
Putin said, for this limited cease-fire to be expanded, Ukraine would have to stop arming or mobilizing its soldiers and the -- quote -- "complete cessation of foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine."
Not only would that leave Ukraine extremely vulnerable.
It also goes against what President Trump has said, which is that Europe will provide Ukraine security guarantees.
Putin also said that the U.S. must address -- quote -- "the root causes of the crisis."
That translates to blocking further NATO expansion, including to Ukraine, and removing U.S. troops from Eastern Europe, says Angela Stent of the Brookings Institution.
ANGELA STENT, Brookings Institution: He is maintaining his maximalist goals.
He has made no concessions.
The only thing he agreed to was this cease-fire in terms of striking energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
And, of course, the Ukrainians have done some of that in Russia.
But that's it.
I don't see anything else coming out of the Kremlin statement that goes really towards meeting President Trump's goal of ending the war and having a 30-day cease -- complete cease-fire.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Putin and Trump looked also beyond Ukraine.
President Trump was bullish.
He said that an improved bilateral relationship would -- quote -- "have a huge upside, including enormous economic details -- deals."
And that is a sign that, for Trump, Ukraine is just the first step toward normalizing U.S.-Russia relationship, says Stent.
ANGELA STENT: That's been a major Putin go all along.
He wants to return to the global board of directors.
He wants the West's isolation of him to end.
President Trump is definitely in the process of doing that.
He has been talking about all the great economic opportunities in Russia and that the -- Russian and U.S. should have a great relationship.
NICK SCHIFRIN: One senior official today told me, Amna, that Putin is already winning because he has -- quote -- "dismantled Russian isolation."
AMNA NAWAZ: Nick Schifrin with the very latest for us.
Nick, thank you.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipMajor corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by...