Zelensky says Ukraine is ready for ‘de-escalatory steps’ if Russia does the same

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine expressed readiness on Monday to de-escalate the ongoing conflict with Russia if the Russian side also took similar steps. This came after US President Donald Trump announced that both nations had agreed to cease strikes on energy targets. Oil prices have risen again, prompting Trump to criticize Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries, which he claimed were responsible for diesel fuel shortages.

In a surprise social media post, Trump stated that "Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do, likewise!" Russia has not yet responded to this offer. Speaking at his daily address, Zelensky highlighted a significant proposal from the US regarding a mutual halt to strikes on critical infrastructure.

He added that if this can become the first de-escalatory step – stopping Russian strikes on Ukraine's critical infrastructure and vice versa – Ukraine is prepared to support de-escalation. Zelensky noted that Russia appears to be feeling pressure due to Ukraine's precise responses aimed at weakening Russia's war economy. However, he reiterated that there is no genuine desire from Russia to end the war.

Zelensky emphasized that if US partners succeed in securing Russia's sincere and long-term readiness to stop the war, Ukraine will reciprocate with its own de-escalatory measures. Following US involvement, previous calls for a ceasefire have been overshadowed by the ongoing Israeli conflict against Iran, now in its seventh month.

US envoys have visited Moscow and Kyiv recently without announcing a breakthrough. Despite Ukraine's targeting of refineries deep inside Russia, Zelensky has been urging allies to provide more anti-missile defenses as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine's rail network. Oleksandr Pertsovsky, CEO of the state Ukrainian Railways operator, reported that strikes on the rail network are worsening each week.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Russia had targeted a train near the Polish-Ukraine border, just days after Kyiv officials revealed that road crossing checkpoints on the border with Moldova had been struck. However, EU countries delayed a deadline for extending sanctions on Russia after France pushed for the removal of Alisher Usmanov from a blacklist.

This Uzbek-Russian metals tycoon, a former major shareholder in England's Arsenal football club, was placed on the EU sanctions list in 2022 due to his close ties to the Kremlin.