Ushakov pointed to Moscow's continued hope for negotiations on Ukraine.

Moscow is not losing hope for negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. This was announced by Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov on the eve of a telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, scheduled for March 18.

"It's been a week since [Trump's] proposal for a 30-day truce. And what do we see? The most powerful drone attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russian territory in history. And then another attack. But we don't give up hope. We cling to everything. But they need to talk to each other," he told the Kommersant newspaper.

The presidential aide recalled that by now, Putin and Trump had had one telephone conversation on February 12.

"There are nuances": Putin suggested discussing a number of issues before talking about a truce in Ukraine

Will the United States be able to find answers for the Russian side?

Earlier in the day, Trump announced that many aspects of the Ukraine agreement had already been agreed. He also expressed hope for an early telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He stressed that the conflict in Ukraine "must end now."

On March 17, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed preparations for a conversation between Trump and Putin on March 18. He did not provide any other details.