AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "News Hour."

Today, for the first time in more than three years#of war, Ukraine and Russia have both agreed to at least a partial cease-fire, stopping strikes# on energy infrastructure for the next month.

GEOFF BENNETT: And those 30 days could provide# a much-needed respite to millions of Ukrainians,## who have often spent their nights# in darkness and without heating.

The announcement followed President# Trump's call with Ukrainian President## Volodymyr Zelenskyy today, which Trump# officials described as fantastic.

Here's Nick Schifrin.

NICK SCHIFRIN: For more than three years, this# .. a country of 37 million guided by flashlights,# targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure to## try and cut civilians' light and heat to# erode their willingness to support the war.

But, today, a deal agreed by Ukrainian# President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,## who wrote on X: "One of the first# steps toward fully ending the war## could be ending strikes on energy and other# civilian infrastructure.

I supported this step,## and Ukraine confirmed that we're ready to# implement it," and announced by the White House.

KAROLINE LEAVITT, White House Press Secretary:# We are at a place of peace.

We're at a partial## cease-fire, and we're moving towards# a full cease-fire and a longstanding## peace in this conflict.

And that's# great news for the American public.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Presidents Trump# and Zelenskyy spoke for an hour,## and technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia# this weekend to try and extend the truce to## the Black Sea, where Ukrainian naval drones have# successfully sunk or pushed out Russia's fleet.

But the U.S. statement also raised# Ukraine's nuclear power plants and## suggested the U.S. could take them over.

KAROLINE LEAVITT: The United States could# be very helpful in running those plants## with its electricity and utility expertise.# American ownership of those plants would be## the best protection for that infrastructure and# support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

NICK SCHIFRIN: That could include# the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,## Europe's largest, and since days into the war# occupied by Russia.

Ukraine operates three## additional nuclear power plants, which# provide an increasingly large amount of## Ukraine's power because of more than 1,000# Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure,## including the massive Kakhovka hydroelectric# dam, flooding entire cities and towns.

The attacks have destroyed half of Ukraine's# electricity capacity and caused $14.6 billion## in damage, as I saw in September 2023, when the# father-daughter team of Alexander (ph) and Daria## showed me how they were trying to fix this plant# and provide rays of hope for the country's future.

DARIA, Power Plant Spokesperson: It's kind# of like the brave ones who bring the light,## because that's what they actually do.# That's our future.

We want to be free.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But even with a partial cease-fire,## that freedom is elusive.

Overnight,# Ukraine launched its own attacks on## Russian energy infrastructure.

And# Russia launched a large barrage.

Zelenskyy today asked President Trump for more air# defense, particularly the Patriot defense system,## which Ukrainian soldiers# need to shoot-down Russian## ballistic missiles.

President Trump# agreed to find what was available,## particularly in Europe, which has tried# to provide Ukraine its own air defenses.

But providing Ukraine that air defense is# easier said than done.

European officials## tell me they want to help, but are# worried about protecting their own## capitals and don't have any surplus.# The same for the U.S.

Even the Biden## administration decided it couldn't give# Ukraine all the air defense it requested,## but it would have come -- because it would have# come at the cost of U.S. military readiness, Amna.

AMNA NAWAZ: Nick, bottom line here, how# close are we to a larger cease-fire?

NICK SCHIFRIN: As we said in our piece, Trump# and Zelenskyy both said that they would work## toward expanding the cease-fire into the Black# Sea.

But the two sides are still far apart on## a fundamental point that we saw come out of the# Putin-Trump phone call, and that was yesterday.

President Putin's readout after that call# said that he wouldn't expand the cease-fire## until Ukraine stopped arming and mobilizing its# soldiers and the "complete cessation" -- quote,## unquote -- of any foreign military and# intelligence assistance.

And Putin also## said that the U.S. would have to address# the root cause of the crisis.

That means## moving troops out of Eastern Europe# and not allowing Ukraine into NATO.

None of that is acceptable to Ukraine.# None of that is acceptable to Western## Europe.

And none of that is acceptable# to President Trump because he has said## specifically that Europe would have to# provide Ukraine the security guarantees.

AMNA NAWAZ: We saw in the readout from U.S.# officials about that call that President## Trump asked President Zelenskyy about one# of the most notorious parts of the war,## something you reported a lot on.# What should we know about that?

NICK SCHIFRIN: Yes, the readout went# out of its way to say that President## Trump raised the issue of the tens of# thousands of Ukrainian children who have## been kidnapped by Russian forces# since the beginning of this war.

The statement reads -- quote --# "President Trump promised to work## closely with both parties to help make# sure those children were returned home."

But here's the thing.

State Department# spokesperson Tammy Bruce today confirmed## for the first time that the State Department cut# off the funding for an outside program that was## tracking those children.

Bruce did confirm# that the data for that program still exists,## despite some Democratic lawmakers'# concern that the data had been deleted.

But the bottom line is, the organizers of# that program always believed that they were## conducting a search-and-rescue mission for all# of those children who were trapped inside Russia.## And unless Secretary of State Rubio brings# back that funding and brings it back soon,## frankly, that effort that they have been doing# for the last few years, that effort will die.

AMNA NAWAZ: We know you will continue# to follow up that story as well.

Nick Schifrin, thank you so much.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.