The agreements to halt strikes on energy infrastructure, exchange prisoners, and begin negotiations on safe shipping in the Black Sea are significant developments that could directly impact people’s lives in Ukraine, Russia, and beyond.

But, judging by the read-outs from the White House and the Kremlin, no major breakthroughs were made.

As he did a week ago, Vladimir Putin has made it clear that he has no intention of backing down from his maximalist demands. He expects Ukraine to fully renounce foreign military aid and intelligence support, as well as halt mobilisation, if it truly wants a ceasefire.

Over the past few days, journalists have speculated on whether the White House will accept these terms or follow through on Trump’s threats to pressure Moscow.

Judging by the statements coming from Moscow and DC, neither has happened. The White House has yet to decide which path it will take, and this will likely be the focus of a new round of negotiations in the coming weeks.

When Trump entered the White House, he hoped his direct involvement would bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine.

But in practice, the will of a US president alone proves not to be enough.

Here's the full statement from the White House after the call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. We'll be picking over both statements in the coming posts:

Today, President Trump and President Putin spoke about the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace. They also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people.

This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts. The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace. These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.

The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application. The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.

The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved.

(Source: BBC)