Following what was hoped to be a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the ongoing war between the two nations, continuing attacks have caused those hopes to be dashed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is working with US President Trump to ensure as much safety as possible going forward.

On Mar. 18, in a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, Putin refused to agree to the proposed 30-day ceasefire that Zelenskyy had already accepted. However, he did agree to cease all strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days. Less than 24 hours later, this agreement was apparently broken.

Russian diplomat Dmitry Peskov claimed that he did not see a willingness from Kyiv to stick to the ceasefire because Ukraine allegedly sent drones to attack an oil depot. In Ukraine, the authorities said that local hospitals were damaged during attacks from Russian drones. The ongoing hostilities reflect the wavering relationship between the two countries and raise doubts about the strength of any ceasefire.

In a social media post, President Zelenskyy called for more pressure on Russia amidst these attacks.

“It is such night attacks by Russia that destroy our energy, our infrastructure, the normal life of Ukrainians. And the fact that this night was no exception indicates that we must continue to put pressure on Russia for the sake of peace,” Zelenskyy said. 

Following the attacks on Moscow and Kyiv, Trump spoke to Zelenskyy on the phone, and the two leaders agreed on a “partial ceasefire against energy.” Zelenskyy said that he and Trump would work to solve the issues that have arisen in implementing the ceasefire, and he requested the US government provide additional air defense systems to protect civilians.

Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply with Zelenskyy. The US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor reported that Trump showed interest in running Ukrainian power plants. He claimed that American ownership of those structures would most efficiently protect and support the infrastructure.

Weeks after Zelenskyy, Trump, and US Vice President JD Vance unsuccessfully discussed a ceasefire in the White House Oval Office, Trump summarized his phone call with Zelenskyy positively and noted that the Ukrainian president thanked Trump for his leadership and support.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed his satisfaction with the phone call and the road ahead.

“Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs. We are very much on track,” Trump said.