EU summit: Leaders tackle energy prices, spar over budget and unite on Ukraine
The two-day summit of EU leaders comes with a packed agenda topped by energy prices, the long-term budget and Russia's war on Ukraine. Hybrid warfare, enlargement and migration will also feature prominently.
On October 14, the Kremlin clarified that the specifics of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine remain undefined, as Russian assaults on Ukraine's power grid persist. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that discussions regarding the energy truce are ongoing, but the extent of the agreement has yet to be determined.
The comments follow Russia's recent unveiling of a lethal aerial assault on Ukrainian cities and power plants, which President Volodymyr Zelensky described as an affront to the Trump-backed truce.
President Trump had unilaterally declared an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on October 11, without detailing the scope, shocking the Ukrainian authorities. Axios reported that the White House had only informed Trump that the agreement pertained to oil refineries, and a more extensive truce encompassing the energy grid might be established later, though neither party has officially confirmed this framework.
Such an arrangement would be highly beneficial to Russia, given its extensive network of oil refineries, while Ukraine has only a single refinery and is primarily concerned about its energy grid, which has been severely damaged by Russian missiles and drones.
Zelensky has expressed Ukraine's readiness to abide by a comprehensive energy truce, contingent on Russia doing the same, and noted that Ukrainian forces have refrained from attacking Russian refineries since Trump's announcement. However, Russian strikes on Ukraine's power grid have continued unabated, and the Kremlin has refrained from committing to the truce.
Despite this, Trump has refrained from blaming Moscow for breaching the truce while amplifying pressure on Ukraine, with his administration threatening to suspend intelligence and military aid. In October 14, Ukraine reported that its access to Starlink terminals, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has been significantly limited, impeding combat operations.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Moscow says scope of Trump's energy truce unclear after launching new attack on Ukraine kyivindependent.com
- Trump said Russia and Ukraine agreed to stop attacking oil refineries. Three days later, Moscow alleges two Ukrainian strikes — neither reported by regional authorities. meduza.io
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- Ukraine does not attack Russian oil refineries last night – presidential advisor en.interfax.com.ua
