Zelenskyy Warned Russia of a Response to Attacks on the Energy Sector
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is ready to respond to Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure if Russia attempts once again to leave Ukrainians without electricity and heat this winter. At the same time, Kyiv is proposing an alternative path—negotiations and phased agreements, specifically regarding a cessation of attacks on energy facilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russia of a response in the event of new attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector. According to him, Ukraine already has experience in countering such strikes and will not leave Russia’s attempts to attack civilian infrastructure unanswered. The president noted that Russia may again attempt to strike Ukraine’s power grid during the cold season. In that case, he said, Ukraine will respond accordingly.
“If they cause blackouts here, we will try to respond in kind,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
He added that Ukraine has already learned to find ways to respond to Russian attacks. At the same time, the head of state stressed that Kyiv is not interested in further escalating the conflict and supports a diplomatic solution to end the war.
Zelenskyy proposed starting with a few steps
According to the president, if it is difficult for partners to immediately reach an agreement with Russia on a complete end to the war, negotiations can be conducted in stages. Zelenskyy identified the first step as reopening the Black Sea. This involves creating conditions under which shipping and port operations will be protected from attacks.
He identified an agreement on a mutual energy ceasefire as the second important step. This approach would involve halting attacks on the energy infrastructure of both countries. According to the Ukrainian side’s plan, this could be one of the concrete steps that can be tested in practice. If the parties are able to agree on at least some specific areas, this could lay the groundwork for further negotiations.
Separate Discussions on Prisoners and Children
Zelenskyy also emphasized the humanitarian aspect of the negotiations. Ukraine insists on continuing prisoner-of-war exchanges and the return of Ukrainian civilians held by Russia. The president specifically mentioned journalists and Ukrainian children who remain in Russia or in the temporarily occupied territories. Kyiv considers their return to be one of the key humanitarian issues.
According to Zelenskyy, it is necessary to move toward holding a trilateral meeting. It could serve as a platform for discussing specific agreements between Ukraine and Russia, with the participation of the United States.
Ukraine anticipates new meetings with partners
Zelenskyy had previously stated that the first results on the path to peace could emerge as early as the end of September. The Ukrainian side anticipates important contacts with U.S. representatives at the end of the month. At the same time, the president remains cautious about the prospects for a rapid breakthrough in the negotiations. According to him, it may be difficult to achieve significant progress before the elections to the Russian State Duma.
Ukraine continues to urge its partners to increase pressure on Moscow. This includes, in particular, new sanctions and continued military support for Ukraine. Kyiv believes that Russia must see the consequences of continuing the war. At the same time, Ukraine is ready to discuss specific steps that could reduce the number of attacks and gradually bring the parties closer to a complete cessation of hostilities. Zelenskyy stated this on his Telegram channel.
