Ukraine Ready To Reciprocate If Russia Halts Energy Attacks
Ukraine is prepared to reciprocate if Russia stops attacking the country’s energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday. He stressed, however, that there is no formal truce between the two sides, despite recent comments from the United States. Russian strikes on power facilities have plunged the capital, Kyiv, into darkness and cold during one of the harshest winters in recent years.
Zelenskyy’s remarks came a day after Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed not to fire on Kyiv for a week due to extreme weather conditions. Temperatures in the capital are forecast to fall as low as minus 26 degrees Celsius on Sunday, intensifying pressure on already strained energy supplies.
US Proposal For De Escalation
Zelenskyy said the idea of easing hostilities was proposed by the United States during trilateral peace talks held in Abu Dhabi last weekend. According to the Ukrainian leader, Washington suggested that both sides take steps to refrain from using long range capabilities in order to create more room for diplomacy.
He added that a follow up round of talks, currently scheduled for this Sunday in the United Arab Emirates, could still change in either timing or location. Zelenskyy described the initiative as an opportunity rather than an agreement and emphasised that it remains at an early stage.
“There is no ceasefire at this point,” he told reporters in Kyiv, according to remarks released by his office. Instead, he said Ukraine views the proposal as a chance to test whether de escalation is possible.
Ongoing Attacks And Battlefield Pressure
There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin regarding the proposed pause in attacks on energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched a ballistic missile and 111 drones in overnight strikes. Regional officials reported air attacks in frontline areas, although there were no reports of new strikes on energy targets.
If implemented, an energy sector ceasefire would come at a critical moment. The war will mark its fourth anniversary next month, while Russian forces continue their slow advance in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. At the same time, Moscow has maintained near daily drone attacks on cities far from the frontlines.
Since last autumn, Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s power sector, worsening blackouts and heating shortages. Kyiv has been particularly affected as winter conditions deepened.
Sticking Points In Diplomacy
Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to produce tangible results. Zelenskyy said sensitive issues remain unresolved, including the future of Donetsk and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest. Putin’s demand that Ukraine surrender the 20 percent of Donetsk it still controls has proven a major obstacle. Zelenskyy has ruled out giving up territory defended at high cost.
Zelenskyy said he did not know when the next meeting of Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators would take place. He added that developments involving the United States and Iran could also affect the timing of future talks.
With inputs from Reuters