Moscow said it freed an additional 22 wounded Ukrainians as a goodwill gesture, following a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But just hours after that call, in which a deal was reached to pause attacks on energy infrastructure, both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating the new agreement.
Moscow said Ukraine hit an oil depot in southern Russia, while Kyiv said Russia had struck hospitals and homes, and knocked out power to some of its railways.
This all came on the same day that Trump had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Trump described as “very good.”
Before their conversation, Zelenskiy said Moscow’s continued attacks showed its words did not match its actions, and that Russia was not ready for peace.
He also said that the United States should be in charge of monitoring any ceasefire.
The hour-long call on Wednesday between Trump and Zelenskiy was their first conversation since an Oval Office meeting descended into a shouting match in late February.
“Intelligence sharing and in terms of defense for Ukraine will continue to be shared.”
Later, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Zelenskiy asked Trump for additional air defense support and that Trump said he would help locate the equipment in Europe.
She also said Trump has “moved beyond” a previously negotiated U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal.
“We’ve moved beyond just the economic minerals deal framework and we’re looking at a lasting ceasefire. Right now we’re at a partial ceasefire. But again, the president is sending his highly skilled, intelligent and experienced team to Saudi Arabia later this week to continue fighting for peace in this conflict.”
Trump has long promised to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.
But his outreach to Putin has unnerved European allies, who fear it heralds a fundamental shift after 80 years in which defending Europe from Russian expansionism was the core mission of US foreign policy.
