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By Shane Croucher
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Germany's defense minister Boris Pistorius dismissed the call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a "flop."
Pistorius made the comments on the German ZDF-Morgenmagazin program and they were reported by the newspaper Der Spiegel.
Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure "have not subsided after this supposedly trendsetting, great phone call," Pistorius reportedly said.
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Why it Matters
The Trump-Putin call took place on Tuesday, but it did not result in a full 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war as proposed by the Americans, who are trying to broker a permanent peace. The diplomatic work is ongoing—and so, for now, is the fighting.
Putin did agree to an immediate pause in strikes against energy infrastructure. Kyiv had also agreed to the same. But reports emerged after the call of attacks on energy infrastructure coming from both sides of the conflict.
The Russian president also agreed to negotiations on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.
Putin made the cessation of all military and intelligence aid to Ukraine a "key condition" for peace. Ukraine fears that without a strong military and defensive support from its partners, including a security guarantee, Russia will continue posing an existential threat.
What to Know
Trump praised his call with Putin as "very good and productive" in a post on his Truth Social platform.
"We agreed to an immediate ceasefire on all energy and infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a complete ceasefire and, ultimately, an end to this very horrible war between Russia and Ukraine," Trump wrote.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. American military aid has been vital to Ukraine's defense since then.
But Trump wants to end the conflict quickly, citing the vast destruction and loss of life, and the cost to U.S. taxpayers, a financial burden he says cannot continue.
The White House described the call as the first step in a "movement to peace" that it hopes will lead to a full and lasting end to the fighting.
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But there was no indication that Putin has backed away from his conditions for a prospective peace deal, which are fiercely opposed by Kyiv.
Putin during the call reiterated his demand for an end to foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.
Trump, though, denied that the subject came up during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday. "We didn't talk about aid," Trump said. "We didn't talk about aid at all."
Russia also wants Ukraine to pull back its troops from the four regions that Moscow has annexed but never fully captured, renounce any prospect of joining the NATO military alliance, and sharply cut its army.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that Ukraine is open to any proposals that lead to a sustainable and just peace, but stressed the need for full transparency in discussions.
Zelensky said he was seeking more details on what Putin and Trump agreed on, but rejected Putin's demand for halting military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine, warning that such a move would weaken Ukraine.
One point of agreement was a prisoner exchange. Russia and Ukraine are due to swap 175 prisoners of war on Wednesday, March 19.
Moscow will also hand over an additional 23 seriously wounded servicemen in what the Kremlin described as a gesture of goodwill.
What People Are Saying
Germany's Pistorius said: "Putin is playing a game here and I am sure that the American president will not be able to stand by for long." He said there will come a time when Trump "will react, will have to react" to preserve the "strength and prestige" of the U.S.
Zelensky said of the Trump-Putin call: "We need to understand what the conversation is about. What are the details? And hopefully, we will be fully informed, and our partners will discuss everything with us."
He added: "There are two sides in this war—Russia and Ukraine. Trying to negotiate without Ukraine, in my view, will not be productive."
The Kremlin's readout of the call said there was a "detailed and frank exchange of views on the situation around Ukraine" between Trump and Putin.
It added that Russia's "key condition" for a political and diplomatic resolution to the war is the "complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv."
The Kremlin also said there was "mutual interest" in "normalizing bilateral relations" and closer cooperation in a "wide range of areas."
What Happens Next
Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who negotiated with the Russians and met with Putin in Moscow, told Fox News there would be further ceasefire talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this coming Sunday between delegations from Moscow and Washington.
Germany's Pistorius said it was "a mistake" to leave Europe out of talks between Trump and Putin because "in the end peace—if there is one—must also be secured on European soil."
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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