A worker inspects the damage at the AES Group private oil refinery the day after a Russian shock drone attack, in Merefa, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on March 18, 2025. It marks the fourth attack on the enterprise since February 2022, the AES Group officials said. Photo: VCG

In his phone call with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities temporarily but declined to endorse a full 30-day cease-fire that Trump hoped would be the first step toward a permanent peace deal, Reuters reported.

Russia has demanded that Ukraine must stop receiving foreign military aid as a condition for a cease-fire, according to a statement issued by the Kremlin. Chinese experts said that with the phone call, Russia has kicked the ball back to the US court and Moscow has traded minor concessions for a more advantageous diplomatic initiative. 

Trump and Putin also discussed the possibility of US and Russian hockey players being featured in games against each other. This "hockey diplomacy" may help ease tensions between the two countries, but the thick ice between the two sides will be difficult to thaw in the short term, experts said.  

Positive spin

Clocking in at almost two-and-a-half hours, Russia's RT called it "the longest telephone conversation between leaders in recent Russian-American history."

Trump described his phone conversation with Putin Tuesday at the White House as "great" during an exclusive interview with The Ingraham Angle on Fox News. 

After phone calls between the two leaders, Russia and the US are set to begin immediate negotiations in the Middle East on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, the White House said in a statement.

The two leaders stressed the need for improved US-Russia relations, said the statement. Further details are not immediately available, but US media outlets, citing Russian sources, said they spoke in favor of normalizing relations between the two countries, Xinhua News Agency reported.  

When asked about China's comment on the phone call between presidents of Russia and US, Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said China has advocated since day one that the Ukraine crisis should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation. We welcome all efforts towards ceasefire and believe that talks are a necessary step in order to achieve peace, Mao said.

"No amount of positive spin could disguise Putin's refusal to sign up for the US plan for a 30-day full cease-fire. And the Russian president instead delivered a new set of conditions that would be impossible for Ukraine to agree to…" said a CNN report.

The Kremlin said after the Trump-Putin call that Putin also emphasized that any resolution of the conflict would require an end to all military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, per Reuters.

It seems that Putin has exchanged what could be described as very minor concessions for a more advantageous diplomatic initiative, Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University's Academy of Regional and Global Governance, told the Global Times. Far from endorsing a proposed 30-day full cease-fire, Moscow has outlined a series of stringent preconditions, including that the US suspend military and intelligence support to Ukraine, a lifeline Kiev relies on to sustain its battlefield efforts, said Cui. 

Last week, US arms deliveries to Ukraine resumed, a day after the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kiev, and officials awaited the Kremlin's response to a proposed 30-day cease-fire endorsed by Ukraine, per the AP.

Putin has kicked the ball back to the US court, said Liu Jun, deputy director of the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University. When it comes to Russia and Ukraine, now the US government has to ponder which is more important to the US, and which side is more easily sacrificed, Liu said. 

Given current US president's eagerness to bring the conflict to a swift conclusion, Liu suggested there is a strong likelihood that the US may prioritize its own interests over Ukraine's. 

Russia is unlikely to halt military actions until it retakes the Kursk region, as progress on the battlefield could increase its cards during the negotiations, which is why Putin did not agree to a 30-day full cease-fire, Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times.

"The phone call between Presidents Putin and Trump proved a well-known idea - there is only Russia and America in the dining room. On the menu: light appetizers - Brussels sprouts, British fish and chips and Paris rooster. The main course is a Kiev-style cutlet. Enjoy your meal!" Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev wrote on his X account.

Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by phone on Wednesday as Kiev weathered Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, Independent reported.

Zelensky on Tuesday called for more details in Trump's proposal for a cease-fire with Russia, and said Ukraine supports all steps aimed at the end of the conflict. "We will support them. But in order to support them, we need to understand what exactly we support," Zelensky said, the Hill reported. 

"When President Trump has time, he is a busy man, when he has time, we can call me any time, he has my phone number. We are ready to talk through further steps, with pleasure," Zelensky said. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated the UK's "unwavering support" for Ukraine in a phone talk with Zelensky on Tuesday evening, according to a Downing Street statement.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed on Tuesday that any peace negotiations regarding the conflict in Ukraine must fully involve the Ukrainian government.

Hockey diplomacy discussed

Trump and Putin also discussed the possibility of US and Russian hockey players being featured in games against each other during their phone call, according to a readout of the conversation published by the Russian government.

The proposal for a hockey match can be viewed as an effort by two countries to alleviate tensions, although their interactions surrounding the Ukraine crisis already reflect  ease of relations, Liu opined. 

He noted that step toward resolving the Ukraine crisis could potentially lead to the lift of some sanctions imposed on Russia. However, the US may be hesitant to remove these sanctions, as they serve as a leverage point against Russia. 

"Thus there will be a lot to do to thaw the thick ice between the two countries," said Liu.