Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Ceasefire Talks
and Related Issues
March 26, 2025
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. More than three years later, Russia
and Ukraine remain engaged in Europe’s largest war in scope and scale since World War II. With
estimates of over 1 million killed or wounded, and with Russia in control of about 20% of Ukraine’s
territory, neither side currently appears poised to achieve a decisive military victory.
Since taking office in January 2025, President Trump has made efforts to facilitate an end to the Russia-
Ukraine war, which he has characterized as a “horrific and brutal conflict” that “should have never
started.” President Trump and other Administration officials have held bilateral talks with Russian
President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and other Russian and Ukrainian
officials. To date, the process has moved forward on parallel bilateral tracks, with U.S. officials
conducting separate talks with Russian and Ukrainian officials. Members of Congress may evaluate the
costs and benefits of, and prospects for, U.S. mediation between Russia and Ukraine, including
implications for U.S. strategic interests.
Potential Ceasefire Terms
An initial issue in U.S.-facilitated discussions has been the terms of a potential ceasefire. Ukrainian
officials and some observers have cautioned that Russia might use a ceasefire to prepare for a resumption
of hostilities, while Russian officials have expressed a reluctance to agree to a full ceasefire without
certain conditions, including securing broader constraints on Ukraine’s military.
After a March 11, 2025, bilateral meeting, U.S. and Ukrainian officials issued a joint statement noting,
among other things, that Ukraine was prepared “to accept [a] U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim
30-day ceasefire.” National Security Advisor Michael Waltz stated the proposal was “for a full ceasefire.”
According to President Zelensky, the proposal for a ceasefire was “not only with regard to missiles,
drones and bombs ... but also along the entire frontline.”
