Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, announced that the country is ready for an energy ceasefire with Moscow and added that Russia has not yet responded to this commitment. In an interview, Zelensky stated that U.S. representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, raised this issue during their recent visit to Kyiv. He added that Ukraine would accept this ceasefire on the condition that Russia also stops all attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Ukraine's Defensive Tactics
Zelensky stated: "We will never initiate the first attack. Our tactic is to respond to attacks, as Putin does not respect negotiations with the weak in any way." He also mentioned that during the meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, the proposal to review refineries and other energy sources was raised. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is ready for an energy ceasefire, but it must be clarified what this means for Ukraine.
Read more: Ali Al-Zaydi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, traveled to Germany
Energy Ceasefire and Infrastructure
Zelensky emphasized that the energy ceasefire should include various types of infrastructure: Russian oil and gas facilities that are targeted by Kyiv's attacks and electricity and gas infrastructure that Moscow has repeatedly attacked. He said: "For Putin, energy means selling oil and gas. For us, energy means providing electricity and gas for our people."
Zelensky also added: "My message is that if the Russians are ready for an energy ceasefire, it means that no attacks with any type of weapon should occur against energy." However, Moscow has not yet changed its tactics. Immediately after the announcement of the energy ceasefire by Donald Trump, Kremlin-affiliated media presented this as a unilateral action and claimed that Kyiv would stop its long-range attacks. No news has been published regarding Moscow's non-attack on Ukraine.
The Kremlin has described this proposal as a "very good idea," but has also linked it to the issue of commercial shipping security, especially for oil tankers, and the lifting of sanctions against Russia. Ukraine has increasingly attacked Russian refinery facilities and other oil infrastructure, claiming that energy revenues help finance Moscow's full-scale war. Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine's electricity and gas infrastructure, leaving the country and millions of Ukrainians particularly vulnerable as another winter of war approaches.
Read more: Friedrich Merz will not travel to New York · Russian hackers hacked Ukrainian government computers by cheating in CAPTCHA
