**Trump Holds Phone Call with Putin**
U.S. President Donald Trump has been speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin since 10:00 a.m. EDT, according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino.
The call follows U.S.-led negotiations in Saudi Arabia, where Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv accepted the deal during talks in Jeddah on March 11, prompting the U.S. to resume military and intelligence support for Ukraine.
Scavino said the call is going well and is still in progress as of 11:30 a.m. EDT.
**Ukraine Accepts Ceasefire Proposal**
On March 13, Putin said Russia was willing to accept the ceasefire but demanded guarantees that Ukraine would not mobilize troops, conduct training, or receive military assistance during the truce.
In response, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was “very much” looking forward to the call with Putin and added that “many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains.”
**Russian Aggression Continues**
Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, four S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, and 145 attack and decoy drones against Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 72 drones over 12 oblasts.
The number of casualties in Ukraine is staggering, with over 1,060 Russian forces suffering just over the past day.
**International Community Reacts**
A hospital in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Sumy and another in the town of Krasnopillia were hit by drones during a series of attacks on Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Vladimir Putin of de facto rejecting a ceasefire, saying “We are an independent state. Without us, I think it’s wrong to negotiate.”
**China Offers Support**
A spokesperson for the China International Development Cooperation Agency said that China is ready to provide assistance within its capacity according to the wishes of parties involved.
“We will support such a proposal, but we’re very interested in the details,” Zelensky said, in reference to a proposed 30-day ceasefire on energy infrastructure attacks.
**France Deploys Fighter Jets**
In other news, France will deploy Rafale fighter jets equipped with supersonic nuclear warheads along its border with Germany in 2035, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
