Zelensky: Ukraine ready to de-escalate if Russia halts strikes
President Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to de-escalate the war if Russia reciprocates a mutual halt on energy infrastructure strikes, after Trump announced both sides had agreed to stop hitting energy targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday his country is prepared to begin de-escalating its war with Russia if Moscow does the same, following a social media announcement from US President Donald Trump that both sides had agreed to stop striking each other's energy targets.
Trump's remarks came after he criticized Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries over the weekend, linking them to a diesel fuel shortage and rising global oil prices. Russia did not immediately comment on Trump's claim of an agreement.
In his daily address, Zelensky referred to a "strong proposal from the United States" for a mutual halt on strikes against critical infrastructure, saying this could become a first de-escalatory step. He noted that Ukraine's precise strikes against Russia's war economy are putting pressure on Moscow, but that so far no genuine Russian willingness to end the war has been observed. If US partners can secure a sincere, long-term Russian readiness to stop the war, Ukraine will take its own de-escalatory steps.
Rail strikes worsening
Trump insisted it is the Russia-Ukraine war, not the conflict with Iran, driving up fuel costs for American voters ahead of November's midterms. An earlier push by Trump for a ceasefire had been overshadowed by the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, now in its seventh month. US envoys visited both Moscow and Kyiv earlier this month without announcing any breakthrough.
The head of Ukraine's state railway operator said Russian strikes on the rail network are worsening weekly, after a strike hit a train frequently used by diplomats near the Polish border over the weekend. Poland said it had information suggesting Russia might be planning attacks on border crossings.
EU delays sanctions deadline
EU member states on Monday postponed the deadline for renewing Russia sanctions after France pushed to remove businessman Alisher Usmanov from the blacklist. The move surprised several EU states, and reports linked France's push to negotiations over French citizens detained in Azerbaijan.
