President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the US and Russia have agreed that Moscow and Kiev should pause attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure.
He made his comments following a phone call between Trump and Putin on Tuesday. The diplomat had previously had a lengthy conversation with Putin in Moscow on March 13.
The envoy highlighted that Putin had agreed to Trump’s proposal to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for 30 days and backed a ceasefire in the sea.
“Up until recently, we really didn’t have consensus around these two aspects – the energy and infrastructure ceasefire and the Black Sea moratorium on firing – and today we got to that place, and I think it’s a relatively short distance to a full ceasefire from there,” Witkoff told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday evening.
“I’m certainly hopeful that the Ukrainians will agree to it. We have some details to work out, of course,” he added.
“I would commend President Putin for all he did today on that call to move his country close to a final peace deal,” the envoy said. “And I would give all the credit to President Trump, his election, peace through strength, the perception that there are no alternatives, and the fact that a good peace and lasting peace are important for both sides.”
“It was these two great leaders coming together for the betterment of mankind,” Witkoff said.
Official #Kremlin Readout of #TrumpPutinCall
#trumpputinphonecall @TudorDixon @RichValdes @barrycunningham pic.twitter.com/GxpgK54wcX
— Rebekah Irina Koffler (@rebekah0132) March 18, 2025
According to the Kremlin’s readout of the call, Putin has “immediately” ordered the Russian troops to halt attacks on Ukraine’s energy sites and responded “favorably” to the maritime truce proposal and took steps to begin talks to “further work out specific details of such an agreement.”
Trump posts on Truth Social about his phone call with Putin.
Trump and Putin are committed to establishing a lasting peace, which will make the world a much safer place.
The men in charge of the two largest nuclear arsenals on Earth, are on good terms.
It’s a start. pic.twitter.com/PbqSbXi4EF
— Clandestine (@WarClandestine) March 18, 2025
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky told reporters on Tuesday that he supports a maritime ceasefire and a moratorium on strikes on energy facilities in principle but will wait for the American side to provide details about the arrangement.
Witkoff told Fox News that the talks will continue in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday. According to Reuters, it was unclear whether Ukraine would participate in the meeting.
Source: Russian media
