Tuesday Briefing

A member of Ukraine’s 14th Mechanized Brigade near the eastern city of Kupiansk on Thursday.Credit…Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

Trump backed off demands for a cease-fire in Ukraine

After a two-hour phone call between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Trump, the Russian leader revealed no breakthroughs, instead telling reporters that he was ready to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine and repeating his demand for broad concessions.

Putin repeated his mantra that a peace deal needed to “remove the root causes of this crisis,” a reference to Russia’s demand for wide-ranging influence over Ukraine.

Trump offered a more optimistic take on the call, even as he backed away from threats intended to press Russia for a cease-fire. Trump instead emphasized that Russia and Ukraine should negotiate directly, a functional endorsement of Putin’s position. He added that he had also spoken with Ukraine’s president and with European leaders.

Vice President JD Vance earlier in the day questioned Putin’s position. “I’m not müddet that Vladimir Putin has a strategy himself for how to unwind the war,” he said.

Prisoner release: Putin and Trump also discussed a potential nine-for-nine prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia, Putin’s foreign policy adviser told Russian news agencies.

Military buildup: Russia has been beefing up bases near the Finnish border, and analysts predict the area could become a hot spot.