Breaking the ice and making up

Although there was no breakthrough in ending the conflict in Ukraine, the Russia-US summit phone call on March 18 showed many positive signs.

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on March 18. (Source: Getty)

On March 18, US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone for more than two hours, discussing many issues.

Writing on the social network Truth Social, the US leader affirmed that he had a "very good and effective" phone call with his Russian counterpart to "end the terrible conflict between Russia and Ukraine".

The Kremlin also issued a statement immediately after the meeting. What was in this phone call that received special attention from the international media and observers?

Positive signal

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) based in Washington DC (USA) assessed that the phone call took place in a friendly atmosphere. Not beyond the general assessment, Ukraine was the focus of the exchange.

Putin is said to have softened his demands on Ukraine in order to focus on immediate issues. In the statement, the Kremlin stressed that it would exchange 175 prisoners with Kiev a day later, in exchange for which Russia would release 23 more seriously wounded Ukrainian soldiers as a gesture of goodwill. In addition, the two sides' documents did not mention post-conflict Ukrainian territory, an issue that could provoke a negative reaction from the Kiev government.

The highlight of the phone call was undoubtedly the agreement between the two sides on a ceasefire agreement at sea, which would lead to a complete ceasefire and lasting peace. The previous US administration had discussed a similar proposal with Russia in August 2024, but made no progress.

Ukraine has repeatedly attacked oil refineries, the Kerch Bridge and several urban targets in Russia “in connection with the attacks on Ukraine”. In turn, Russia has attacked Ukrainian energy facilities and cities. These targets account for the majority of the attacks.

Therefore, the agreement between Russia and the US to stop attacking energy facilities in the conflict in Ukraine is a positive result, contributing to reducing civilian casualties and creating a premise towards negotiating a maritime ceasefire agreement, a comprehensive ceasefire and sustainable peace.

There are still obstacles.

However, it is not difficult to see that Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin have not been able to reach a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire agreement, as the US and Ukraine agreed to in the Middle East a few days ago. Instead, the agreement is limited to energy facilities. At the same time, it is not clear whether Kiev agrees to this proposal and how it will comply with the agreement. Even if it is implemented, the fighting on the front lines in Russia and Ukraine, as well as the attacks on military targets, will continue.

In addition, in its statement, the Moscow government also reiterated the condition for resolving the conflict as "completely ending foreign military aid and providing intelligence to Kiev", thereby reaffirming the requirement to "demilitarize" Ukraine, which President Volodymyr Zelensky finds very difficult to accept.

Thus, the phone call reflected the current US administration’s desire to “break the ice” to end the conflict that has lasted more than three years. CSIS assessed that the goal of achieving Russia-Ukraine peace in Trump’s first 100 days was “encouraging”, but unrealistic. Remember, negotiations to end the Korean War took two years and failed to reach a lasting peace agreement. Given the complexity of the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, more than three months is not enough to bring about a comprehensive political solution for both sides.

Steps to improve

Besides Ukraine, Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin mentioned many other "hot" issues today. The US statement said that the two sides "mentioned the Middle East, a region where the two sides have the potential to cooperate to prevent future conflicts." Notably, this document emphasized: "The two sides share the vision that Iran must never be placed in a position strong enough to threaten the existence of Israel." It is not clear how the Kremlin will fulfill this commitment when Russia-Iran relations have been maintained and developed more strongly since Russia was embargoed by the West.

At the same time, the US statement emphasized that Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin "discussed the need to end the proliferation of strategic weapons and will discuss with other parties." The US is concerned that Russia may transfer nuclear technology to North Korea and Iran. On the contrary, some other countries such as South Korea, Poland, Japan and Germany are said to have considered developing nuclear deterrence capabilities.

Ultimately, Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin “both agreed that a future with better U.S.-Russia relations would bring many benefits, including major economic deals and political stability when peace is achieved.”

This is a positive result as the two countries have implemented many moves to improve relations in recent times, including reopening embassies and restoring minimum economic ties.

However, this is just the beginning and the two sides need more similar contacts at all levels to bring relations back on track, creating an important premise to resolve a series of global challenges, whether it is armed conflict or denuclearization.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dien-dam-nga-my-pha-bang-va-han-gan-308229.html