Zelensky: Ukraine ready for energy ceasefire with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Kyiv is prepared to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in any format, provided Moscow agrees not to target Ukraine's energy system. He made the remarks to reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York.

Zelensky acknowledged he did not know Russia's position on the matter but said he hoped the American side would find a way to bring Moscow to some form of negotiations. He stressed that both Kyiv and Washington want the war to end before winter sets in.

Talks have stalled

US-led efforts to broker an end to the fighting, which has continued since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, have stalled in recent months as Washington shifted its attention toward the conflict with Iran. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have for months been intensifying long-range strikes on an expanding range of civilian targets, including factories, warehouses, port and energy infrastructure, and ships in the Black Sea.

Meeting with Trump

US President Donald Trump, who met with Zelensky in New York on Tuesday, said last week that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to strike each other's energy facilities — a day after criticizing Kyiv for hitting Russian oil refineries. Zelensky described the meeting as positive and productive, writing on X that both the US and Ukraine want to see the senseless Russian war end before winter.