Zelensky cannot increase the army, nor there should be drone attacks… Putin told Trump his conditions for ceasefire

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a limited ceasefire, which stopped attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure after an important phone call with US President Donald Trump. However, the Russian leader did not commit to a comprehensive ceasefire, due to which the hopes of ending the hostility between the two countries seem low.

A preliminary agreement was reached between Putin and Trump to stop attacks on Ukraine’s important energy infrastructure. Trump described the conversation as ‘very good and productive’ on his Truth social platform and expressed hope about further progress towards a complete ceasefire and end of the war.

What conditions did Russia lay down?
The Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday agreed to US President Donald Trump’s proposal that Russia and Ukraine should stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure for 30 days and ordered the Russian army in this regard.

The Kremlin said in a statement that the two leaders had a good discussion on Ukraine during the phone call, in which Putin said that a solution to the conflict should be “comprehensive, durable and long-term”, taking into account Russia’s security interests and the root causes of the war.

The Kremlin said Putin also discussed key points about monitoring such a ceasefire and preventing Ukraine from using it to mobilize more troops and rearm itself.

Is foreign military assistance to Ukraine Russia’s biggest concern?
“It was emphasized that the main condition for preventing the conflict from escalating and working on its resolution by political and diplomatic means should be a complete halt to foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence to Kiev,” the Kremlin said.

Putin reportedly called on Ukraine to halt the mobilization of new troops, raising concerns that any future peace talks would include significant demands aimed at weakening Ukraine’s military capabilities in Russia’s position. Trump and Putin committed to a ceasefire on energy and infrastructure, as well as technical talks to implement a maritime ceasefire, a complete ceasefire and lasting peace in the Black Sea.

Putin also told Trump that Russia and Ukraine will exchange 175 prisoners of war each on Wednesday and that Russia will hand over 23 seriously wounded servicemen to Ukraine, the Kremlin said, according to the report.