Following a lengthy phone conversation, President Trump and President Putin have agreed to “immediately” begin peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, the White House said Tuesday. Officials say the most immediate step they will take is to try to halt all attacks between Russia and Ukraine aimed at energy infrastructure in both countries. 

Messrs. Trump and Putin spoke for nearly three hours beginning on Tuesday morning, according to a readout of the call that was shared with members of the press. Following a successful halt of attacks on both countries’ infrastructure, the Russians and the Ukrainians will then try to move toward a maritime cease-fire that would allow normal trade to resume. Beyond the Russia–Ukraine cease-fire, the White House said that the two presidents discussed regional security in the Middle East. 

“​​This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts. The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace,” the White House said in a statement. “These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.”

While the White House says the call went well and that the peace talks are likely to be constructive, the price for Ukraine in this peace process could be steep, however. The Kremlin says that they want the United States to stop sharing intelligence and sending arms to Ukraine as the peace process plays out. 

“It was emphasized that the key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict and working towards its resolution by political and diplomatic means should be a complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv,” the Kremlin said in their own statement. Mr. Putin’s staff also confirmed that the Russian president “immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding order” to stop attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. 

The Kremlin further said that Mr. Putin has agreed to exchange 198 Ukrainian prisoners — including 23 who are currently being treated in Russian hospitals for injuries sustained during the war — in exchange for 175 Russian prisoners as “a gesture of goodwill.”

Mr. Putin says he is open to help the United States stabilize the situation in the Middle East and in the Red Sea, though no specifics were offered in the readout. The two presidents “touched upon other issues on the international agenda, including the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea region.”

“Joint efforts will be made to stabilize the situation in crisis areas, establish cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and global security issues. This, in turn, will contribute to improving the overall atmosphere of Russian-American relations,” the statement said. 

The Kremlin’s readout of the call also claims that Mr. Trump welcomed the Russian president’s proposal that American and Russian hockey players schedule a match as one of the first attempts to normalize bilateral relations.