Zelenskyy doubts halt to energy strikes — Politico Europe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy questioned US President Donald Trump’s statement about an agreement between Ukraine and Russia to stop strikes on energy infrastructure. Ukraine is ready to refrain from such attacks on a reciprocal basis if partners can ensure Russia’s willingness — the aggressor state — to stop strikes on Ukrainian facilities.
The condition of reciprocity
As Politico Europe reports, Trump said on Monday that Kyiv and Moscow had agreed not to attack energy targets. Before that, he linked the high cost of diesel fuel to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries rather than to the US and Israeli war against Iran.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine is not certain of Russia’s intentions to comply with any agreements. According to him, partners must ensure an end to Russian strikes on the power sector, other energy facilities, critical infrastructure and food supply routes. Under this condition, Ukraine is ready to respond by refraining from its own strikes.
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The Kremlin’s position
According to the publication, Russia has for several years attacked Ukrainian ports, the energy system, petrol stations and logistics infrastructure with drones and missiles. In recent weeks, these attacks, as well as Ukrainian retaliatory strikes on Russian infrastructure, have intensified.
The Ukrainian president also said that the ceasefire must be long-term rather than a short arrangement that could allow Russia to hold parliamentary elections on September 18–20. He added that Kyiv expects specifics from its partners.
The Kremlin had not commented on Trump’s statement at the time of publication. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had earlier welcomed the US president’s call for Kyiv to stop strikes on “peaceful economic infrastructure,” but did not answer whether Russia would stop attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure if Ukraine agreed. Politico Europe also notes that during the three-day truce in May, which Trump secured for Russia to hold Victory Day celebrations, Moscow attacked Ukraine with 40 drones and a ballistic missile.
