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Zelensky Agrees to Pause Energy Attacks; Trump Says He Wants Ownership of Ukraine’s Nuclear Plants

HeadlineMar 20, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday he is ready to pause attacks on Russian fuel depots and energy infrastructure, following a phone call with President Trump. His pledge came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin similarly agreed to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy sites during a call with Trump; however, Putin rejected a proposed 30-day ceasefire and insisted any deal should include an end to military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

During Wednesday’s call with Zelensky, Trump reportedly proposed the U.S. could take ownership of Ukraine’s nuclear power stations, like the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear power facility in Europe.

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 175 prisoners of war Wednesday in one of the largest prisoner swaps since Russia invaded over three years ago. Some of the POWs had been held in Russian jails since the start of the war.

Serhii: “Where haven’t I been imprisoned? I’ve been in Luhansk. Then I was sent to Bashkirostan, very far away. It was the hardest there. We were tortured there very hard. Boys didn’t make it there. Some even lost their minds.”

A new report from the U.N.'s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine finds Russia has committed “widespread and systematic” attacks on Ukraine's civilian population, including enforced disappearances and torture that constitute crimes against humanity.

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