Ukraine offers reciprocal halt to energy strikes as Russia remains silent
Volodymyr Zelensky has backed a US proposal for both sides to stop attacking critical infrastructure, but no agreement has been independently confirmed.
Ukraine is prepared to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow stops striking Ukrainian critical infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday, offering a possible first step towards de-escalation.
Zelensky’s statement followed US President Donald Trump’s claim that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy targets. Russia had not immediately commented, and the reported arrangement had not been independently confirmed, France 24 International reported.
Ukraine has targeted Russian refineries and petroleum infrastructure during the war, while Russian forces have repeatedly struck Ukrainian energy facilities. Zelensky said Ukraine would support de-escalatory steps if the United States could secure a genuine and lasting Russian commitment to stop the attacks.
The proposal comes as Ukraine reports worsening pressure on its transport infrastructure. Oleksandr Pertsovsky, chief executive of Ukrainian Railways, said Russian strikes on the rail network were becoming worse each week after a reported strike hit a train near the Polish border.
Poland has also warned of possible attacks on border crossings. The causes and intended targets of the reported incidents near Ukraine’s western border have not been independently established.
Separately, European Union ambassadors delayed the renewal of Russia sanctions by one week after France sought the removal of Alisher Usmanov from the bloc’s blacklist. The Financial Times linked the move to a possible prisoner-release deal, but that explanation was not confirmed.
