Trump and Putin 2019. US President Donald Trump (R) attends a meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin could be stalling in talks over a full ceasefire in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump said, after Washington announced separate agreements with Kyiv and Moscow on pausing strikes and opening up trade in the Black Sea.
Why It Matters
Trump had accused Ukraine of not being "ready" for peace, which Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly denied. The Ukrainian leader has blamed Russia for the slow progress of talks, hurried on by the White House in the just over two months since Trump's inauguration.
What To Know
Trump told Newsmax on Tuesday that he believed Russia "wants to see an end" to the more than three years of war, "but it could be they're dragging their feet."
"I've done it over the years," the Republican president then said. "I don't want to sign a contract; I want to sort of stay in the game, but maybe I don't want to do it."
Earlier this month, Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day full ceasefire, while Russia refused to sign the deal after Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has emerged as a main conduit to Moscow, visited the Russian capital.
Zelensky accused the Kremlin of tripping up ceasefire talks, adding: "Putin is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war and keep killing Ukrainians."
"It is Russia's stance that is prolonging this war," Zelensky then said in his daily evening address on Tuesday.
Russia and Ukraine both agreed to a ceasefire covering the Black Sea, a key battleground, on Tuesday after fresh talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia.
The White House said Washington and Moscow had agreed to protect safe passage in the Black Sea, stop attacks and to prevent commercial vessels being used for military ends. A separate accord was reached between the U.S. and Ukraine.
A Turkey-backed and United Nations-brokered deal, known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, had been in place earlier in the war to allow Ukrainian grain exports to leave the Black Sea area. This deal expired when Russia withdrew from the agreement in summer 2023, saying its demands on grain and fertilizer exports had not been met.
Both sides committed to "develop measures" for implementing a ban on attacking energy infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia, the White House said.
In its own readout, the Kremlin said the Black Sea truce would come into effect only once the U.S. had lifted sanctions on its fertilizers and agricultural trade while expanding access to ports and payment systems.
"How Russia behaves in the coming days will reveal a lot-if not everything," Zelensky said on Tuesday. The Ukrainian leader said he was "grateful" to the U.S. for facilitating "constructive and effective work," but added Kyiv did "not trust" Russia to stand by ceasefire deals.
"Frankly-the world doesn't trust Russia," Zelensky added.
In a separate document, Russia said Moscow and Washington had agreed that oil refineries, pipelines, pumping stations, electricity infrastructure and power plants, including nuclear sites, were off-limits for strikes orchestrated by Russia or Ukraine for 30 days.
The moratorium on energy attacks came into force on March 18, the Kremlin said. Zelensky added that Moscow was "already trying to distort the agreements."
Both sides have accused one another of attacking energy infrastructure since March 18.
What People Are Saying
Trump said he thinks "Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they're dragging their feet."
Zelensky said on Tuesday that "if there are air raid alerts again, if there is renewed military activity in the Black Sea, if Russian manipulations and threats continue-then new measures will need to be taken, specifically against Moscow."
What Happens Next
It is not clear whether the U.S. officials will be able to broker a full ceasefire, as they are still contending with apparently incompatible demands from Kyiv and Moscow.
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This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 6:34 AM.