Russian Negotiators May Be ‘Dragging Their Feet’ in Ukraine Cease-Fire Talks, Trump Says

The Trump administration has negotiated a limited cease-fire covering Russia and Ukraine’s energy sites, but a broader truce is still in the works.

(L–R) U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. national security adviser Mike Waltz, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, Saudi Arabian national security adviser Mosaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban, Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a meeting at Riyadh Diriyah Palace in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 18, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Russian negotiators may be intentionally drawing out the talks for a cease-fire after their more than three-year war with Ukraine, President Donald Trump assessed in a new interview.

In the past week, the White House has negotiated some incremental cease-fire proposals between Russia and Ukraine. In recent days, Moscow and Kyiv voiced support for a 30-day moratorium on strikes targeting each other’s energy sites. By March 25, the White House announced Moscow and Kyiv have since agreed, in principle, to another deal limiting hostilities in the Black Sea.