Five things to know about the Russia-Ukraine peace talks

President Trump has focused on a limited ceasefire in the Ukraine war as he seeks to lead broader peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.

Russian President Vladimir Putin this week rejected a full 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US and backed by Ukraine, but he signaled openness to a narrower ceasefire focused on energy infrastructure, although many questions remain about its terms and implementation.

US officials are expected in Saudi Arabia next week, with reported plans to hold separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian delegations to clarify the details.

Here's what each side wants in the talks.

What does Trump want?

While Trump has not fulfilled his promise to end the war in 24 hours, he can say there is forward movement in the talks.

It is known that so far, his strategy has focused on pressuring Ukraine for concessions using military and intelligence assistance.

Economic agreements appear to be a priority for Trump in talks with Ukraine and Russia.

In Trump's conversation with Putin, he emphasized that improving ties between the two countries "has a huge advantage," including geopolitical stability.

Trump has been pressuring Ukraine to sign a mineral extraction deal, and he raised a new idea after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week: taking ownership of Ukraine's nuclear power plants.

Zelensky said the discussion focused on Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, which is under Russian occupation, and whether there could be a U.S. role in returning it to Ukrainian hands, perhaps as part of territorial talks.

Trump is said to be interested in the power plant as part of boosting Ukraine's mining industry after the war.

He said on Friday that contracts are being negotiated for "land sharing" as part of a final peace agreement.

Meanwhile, Putin announced the annexation of four Ukrainian territories, including Zaporizhzhia, despite not having full territorial control and international rejections.

Benjamin Schmitt, senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, said the idea of ​​U.S. control over nuclear power was problematic for multiple reasons.

"Putin, frankly, will not be happy with any of this, because his war aims were to completely undermine Ukrainian sovereignty," he said.

"And so, the notion of the US having, let's say control, if not ownership, in some way over the Zaporizhzhia power plant, that would have significant downside risk," Schmidt added.

What does Putin want?

“Putin has softened some of his demands as Trump forces negotiators to the table,” said Rose Gottemoeller, who served as NATO’s deputy secretary general from 2016 to 2019, on the “Russian Roulette” podcast hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

This includes Putin and his top aides dropping public opposition to Ukraine's accession to the European Union and changing the rhetoric on its previous goals of fighting for "denazification" in Ukraine.

"His objectives have changed," Gottemoeller said.

But Putin is still opposed to Ukraine joining NATO, hosting foreign peacekeeping forces, or formally reclaiming territory that Russia has occupied since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

To the extent that Putin feels motivated to reach a ceasefire, the Russian economy is likely to be a key motivating factor, writes yahoonews, the Telegraph reports.

Ukraine's increased attacks on Russian oil and energy facilities have reportedly reduced its oil production, at least temporarily, by 10%.

And while Russia has largely overcome US, European and international sanctions by moving to a wartime economy, it is unclear how long this strategy is sustainable.

Schmitt, of the University of Pennsylvania, said sanctions on Russia's energy sector "undoubtedly have a macroeconomic impact on the Russian economy."

He added that now is the time for stricter enforcement of these sanctions and strengthening export controls against energy sector technologies and commercial goods used in military production.

"When it comes to US-Russia relations, we need to do what Putin understands, which is hard diplomacy, strong power," he said.

What does Zelensky want?

Trump's proposal for a ceasefire limited to energy and infrastructure aligns with Ukraine's previous efforts at talks with Russia over the past year.

"Essentially, what was more or less agreed upon between Trump and Putin was to go back on two agreements that Russia and Ukraine had almost completed last year but never crossed the finish line," said Samuel Charap, senior political scientist at the RAND Corp.

This includes talks that were scheduled to take place in August on an energy infrastructure ceasefire, which broke down when Ukraine launched an incursion into Russian territory at Kursk.

Trump and Zelensky, in a phone call on Wednesday, also reportedly discussed expanding a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea, a critical waterway for Ukrainian exports and a flashpoint in fighting with Russia.

Ukrainian and Russian officials reportedly reached the final stages of a deal on the Black Sea in March 2024, but Kiev backed out.

“I think it’s very strange that the Zelensky government has now strengthened this long-standing proposal for a ceasefire and brought it to the table with the Americans, because it gives it an additional impetus,” said Gottemoeller, now a lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a fellow at the Hoover Institution.

"The Ukrainians have their own very experienced negotiators and they are very, I think, very smart in representing their interests at the negotiating table," he added.

Zelensky has long said that continued security guarantees, ideally involving the US and NATO, are an essential component of any peace agreement.

Where Europe stands

Europe, wary of Trump's unpredictability as a military ally, is increasingly drawing up plans to bolster its defense industries and aid to Ukraine.

“There’s a lot going on right now, all this chatter and a fair amount of meetings and activities reflect that Europeans are taking this seriously,” said John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and former ambassador to Ukraine.

"This is difficult, this is complicated and it will take time. But there is no doubt in my mind that the trend is toward more robust defense spending," Herbst added.

But the challenge of getting Europe on the same page regarding plans to help Ukraine "shook" earlier this week.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas saw her plan for a $43 billion military aid package for Ukraine falter amid backlash from European leaders.

And an attempt to collect $5.4 billion worth of ammunition failed.

However, senior military leaders from more than 30 countries met in England on Thursday to finalize plans for an international peacekeeping force that could be deployed in Ukraine in the event of a deal with Russia.

And French President Emmanuel Macron announced that a coalition of willing nations supporting Ukraine would meet in Paris on March 27 – and would include Zelensky.

Trump's NATO wild card

Otherwise, Trump is deeply critical of alliance members, who have yet to increase their defense budget to 2% of their gross domestic product, suggesting that the US would not act to protect them in the event of an attack.

There were even rumors of a possible US withdrawal from the alliance.

But there is a clear divide among Trump's allies and advisers on NATO.

While MAGA voices like Donald Trump Jr. and tech billionaire Elon Musk have advocated a U.S. withdrawal from NATO, more conventional national security voices like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz have disagreed.

The NATO plans will also put Trump on a collision course with GOP senators who support strong U.S. commitment to the alliance. /Telegraph/