US President Donald Trump has announced that Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington have reached preliminary agreements to settle the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, President Trump expressed optimism about a complete ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, stating he expected it to happen “pretty soon.”
“I believe we’re going to pretty soon have a full ceasefire, and then we’re going to have a contract, and the contract’s being negotiated, the contract in terms of dividing up the lands, etc., etc.,” The Hill quoted President Trump as saying. “It’s being negotiated as we speak.”
Donald Trump reaffirmed his goal to stop the violence affecting both Russians and Ukrainians. He also emphasized his intention to recover the funds the Biden administration allocated to support Ukraine, once again citing the figure of $350 billion.
The current US administration has been actively working with both Ukrainian and Russian representatives to bring an end to the war. Key meetings and negotiations have taken place in recent weeks to lay the groundwork for peace.
On March 11, US and Ukrainian delegations met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Ukraine signaled its willingness to accept a temporary 30-day ceasefire if Russia agreed to do the same. Two days later, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow, meeting with President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin later stated that President Putin had sent “additional information and signals” to President Trump through Witkoff.
On March 18, Donald Trump held a phone call with his Russian counterpart, during which the White House reported that Moscow had agreed to stop attacking Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure facilities. The following day, President Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reiterating his commitment to securing lasting peace in Ukraine.
Despite the US-mediated agreement for both sides to halt attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days, tensions remain high. Russia has accused Ukraine of blowing up a gas pumping station in the Kursk region, while Ukraine has denied the allegations. Kyiv has also condemned a Russian decree forcing Ukrainians in occupied territories to obtain Russian documentation or leave.
Ukraine further denounced a massive Russian drone strike on the Black Sea port of Odesa during a visit by Czech President Petr Pavel, raising concerns about whether the fragile ceasefire deal will hold.
Donald Trump’s announcement came ahead of separate US-led negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, scheduled for March 24 in Saudi Arabia. These talks will focus on a long-term solution to the conflict.
The full-scale war, which began in 2022, traces its roots to the 2014 conflict when Russia annexed Crimea and backed armed separatist movements in Ukraine’s eastern regions. After the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Moscow also declared the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, despite international condemnation.
Currently, Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, roughly 112,000 square kilometers. In contrast, Ukraine managed to gain control of around 450 square kilometers in Russia’s Kursk region.
President Zelensky has firmly rejected any peace deal that recognizes Russian occupation of Ukrainian territory, calling it a “red line” that Kyiv will not cross. Ukraine’s Constitution clearly states that its borders are “indivisible and inviolable.”
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