Ukraine wants specifics, not promises, on mutual halt to energy strikes

Ukraine is prepared to halt strikes on Russia if its partners ensure that Moscow will refrain from hitting Ukrainian energy facilities, infrastructure and food supply routes, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. His comments, posted on Telegram, appeared to amount to a denial that Ukraine had formally endorsed President Donald Trump's statement that the two countries had agreed not to hit each other's energy targets.

Zelensky said Kyiv was not convinced that Russia was willing to abide by any agreement. Ukraine is not certain that Russia is willing to stick to any agreement, he wrote. The war must be brought to an end. And a de-escalatory step regarding critical infrastructure could be the first step toward peace. We expect specifics from our partners.

Ukraine would be willing to sign an agreement to refrain from strikes on infrastructure, he said, but any such accord had to be reliable, long-term, and actually have a real impact on people's lives. Trump had written that the two sides had agreed not to hit each other's energy targets. Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets, he said. Russia has agreed to do, likewise.

The exchange lays bare the fragility of any understanding reached with the Kremlin, whose forces continue their unprovoked assault on Ukraine and whose word, Kyiv's allies have repeatedly found, is worth little without enforcement. Ukrainian officials have long insisted that no agreement can hold while Russian troops occupy sovereign territory and while Moscow's campaign against civilian infrastructure continues. The World House, which maintains a dedicated page outlining its support for Ukraine at worldhouse.uk/support, continues to document the consequences of Russia's aggression.