Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating the limited ceasefire agreement reached by Trump and Putin on Wednesday (March 19), despite reaching an agreement on energy infrastructure attacks, the conflict continues. At the same time, both sides exchanged prisoners of war and released 175 soldiers each, indicating that there is still some diplomatic space in the tense situation. However, the fragility of the ceasefire agreement and mutual accusations between the two sides make the prospect of peace still bleak.

1. Breach of ceasefire agreement: Both sides point to breach of contract

During the phone conversation between Trump and Putin, Putin rejected Trump's proposal for a 30 day comprehensive ceasefire, but agreed to suspend attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. However, this limited ceasefire agreement faced challenges just hours after it came into effect. Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking its southern oil depots, while Ukraine claims that Russia has attacked hospitals, residences, and cut off power supply to some railways.

2. prisoner of war exchange: diplomatic highlights in tense situations

Despite the existence of a ceasefire agreement, both sides announced the exchange of prisoners of war and the release of 175 soldiers each. The United Arab Emirates assisted in facilitating this agreement. In addition, as a gesture of goodwill, Russia released an additional 22 injured Ukrainians. This move is seen as a step towards building trust in the tense situation.

3. Zelensky's statement: calling on the United States to supervise the ceasefire

Ukrainian President Zelensky stated at a briefing in Helsinki with the Finnish President that Russia's continued attacks indicate a discrepancy between its words and actions and that it is not prepared for peace. He called on the United States to oversee any ceasefire agreement and emphasized that if Russia stops attacking Ukrainian facilities, Ukraine will not attack Russian facilities either.

4. Restoration of Russia US Relations: Interaction between Putin and Trump

The Kremlin stated that Putin and Trump are determined to repair their severely damaged relationship. Although there are differences between the two sides on the ceasefire agreement, Kremlin spokesman Peskov emphasized that the two leaders know each other very well. Zelensky plans to have his first direct conversation with Trump over the phone since the White House meeting on February 28th.

5. Energy infrastructure attacks: the core focus of conflict

Attacks on energy infrastructure are an important part of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia has been continuously attacking Ukraine's power grid in the past three years, believing that civilian infrastructure is a legitimate target. Ukraine is developing long-range attack capabilities and frequently using drones to attack Russia's oil and gas facilities. The Ukrainian military stated that Russia launched 145 drones, of which 72 were shot down; Russia claims to have destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones.

summarize

Despite the limited ceasefire agreement reached between Russia and Ukraine through the mediation of Trump and Putin, the fragility of the agreement was exposed within hours. Both sides accuse each other of breach of contract, and the conflict continues. The exchange of prisoners of war has become the only diplomatic highlight in the tense situation, indicating that there is still some room for cooperation between the two sides in a hostile state. However, the breakdown of the ceasefire agreement and ongoing mutual attacks have left the prospect of peace still bleak. In the future, the mediation efforts of the international community and the restoration of Russia US relations will become key factors.

If the conflict escalates or energy facilities suffer more attacks, oil prices may rise; If the situation eases, oil prices may fall, but they will still be supported by geopolitical risks.