Ukraine to back energy truce if US protects intent

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine declared on Monday that his country is prepared to endorse a U.S. suggestion for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, but only if Washington guarantees Russia's genuine intention to cease its war efforts. Zelenskiy made these remarks in his nightly video address after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to target each other's energy sites.

Zelenskiy expressed that if this could be the initial step towards de-escalating the conflict, it would signify a significant move towards ending Russian strikes against critical infrastructure and Ukrainian retaliatory actions. However, thus far, there is no tangible evidence of Russia's sincere willingness to bring the war to an end.

Nevertheless, if the American partners can ensure Russia's genuine readiness to end the war aimed at destroying lives and achieve this aim honestly and in the long term, Ukraine is willing to take its own steps to de-escalate the situation. Throughout its four-and-a-half-year-long war, Russia has frequently targeted Ukrainian energy facilities, inflicting substantial damage to heating and power networks and severely disrupting both industry and the daily lives of civilians.

In recent months, Ukraine's military has been launching its own attacks on Russian industrial sites, especially its oil industry, which is a cornerstone of the national economy. These strikes have led to significant petrol shortages in numerous Russian regions. In his social media posts, Zelenskiy essentially denied that Ukraine had formally approved Trump's claim that both sides had agreed to suspend attacks.

He stated that Ukraine remains unconvinced about Russia's willingness to abide by any agreement. Any accord, according to Zelenskiy, must be trustworthy, long-term, and have a real impact on people's lives.