Putin Agrees to Restricted Stop-Hearth on Ukraine Power Targets

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia agreed for the primary time on Tuesday to a restricted cease-fire that may cease strikes on power infrastructure, so long as Ukraine does the identical, the Kremlin mentioned in an announcement.

However in a two-and-a-half-hour telephone name with President Trump, the Russian chief declined for now to comply with a broader 30-day halt in combating that U.S. and Ukrainian officers had proposed, which means that the assaults on Ukrainian civilians, cities and ports will proceed as the 2 sides vie for territory and an higher hand in negotiations.

Nonetheless, if strikes on power infrastructure by each side certainly cease, it might mark the primary mutually agreed suspension of assaults within the three-year struggle, which the White Home characterised as a primary step towards a broader peace. However privately, some administration officers acknowledged that Mr. Putin seemed to be stalling, agreeing to simply sufficient to seem like engaged in peace talks, whereas urgent his benefit on the battlefield.

A cease-fire for power targets wouldn’t solely profit Ukraine, which has struggled for years with Russia’s repeated assaults on its power grid. It might additionally come as a aid to the Kremlin: Ukraine has performed intensive strikes on oil and gasoline amenities deep into the Russian heartland, jeopardizing Moscow’s most important stream of state income.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine mentioned he was awaiting a telephone name from Mr. Trump to search out out the small print of his dialogue with Mr. Putin, however famous he was open to a truce on strikes focusing on power infrastructure.

“Russia and Ukraine, by way of the mediation of the U.S., can agree to not assault power infrastructure,” he informed the Ukrainian public broadcaster, Suspilne, Tuesday night time. “Our facet will assist this. However it can’t be the case that Russia assaults our power sector and we stay silent. We’ll reply.”