Ukraine says ready to halt certain strikes if Russia does the same

Kyiv: Ukraine is ready to halt certain strikes if Russia does the same, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

“If our partners are ready to ensure that Russia genuinely refrains from striking our electricity system, other energy facilities, critical infrastructure, and food supply routes, then, of course, we are ready to ensure a corresponding halt to our strikes,” Zelensky said on X on Monday (local time).

He said any partial ceasefire should be reliable and long-term, and should hold beyond Russia’s elections scheduled for this month.

At the same time, Zelensky stressed that the conflict must be brought to an end and a de-escalatory step involving critical infrastructure could be the first move toward peace, reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said Ukraine and Russia have agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. He said in a post on Truth Social that Ukraine had agreed not to strike Russian energy targets and “Russia has agreed to do, likewise!”

The Kremlin welcomed Trump’s call on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russia’s fuel-producing facilities.

“Any call on Kyiv to stop attacks on civilian economic infrastructure can only be welcomed,” said Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

“Any countries can use their influence on Kyiv to encourage it to show greater flexibility, which would be a significant contribution to the settlement process,” Peskov said.

On Sunday, Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop attacking Russian refineries, saying such strikes were causing a shortage of diesel.

Earlier, the Russian government introduced a temporary ban on the export of gasoline, diesel, marine fuel and gas oil to stabilise the domestic fuel market.

IANS