Putin does not want "energy truce" with Ukraine until winter, - Financial Times
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is in no hurry to reach an energy truce with Ukraine. He hopes to force Ukraine to make concessions.
According to Censor.NET, the Financial Times reports this
Negotiations on a possible energy truce between Ukraine and Russia are ongoing, but there is as yet no final agreement between the parties – despite US President Donald Trump’s statement to the contrary. According to the FT, the issue of halting attacks on energy facilities was discussed during the trilateral talks between representatives of Ukraine, the US and Russia. Following their conclusion in February, contacts continued in separate meetings and in an informal setting.
For several months, Ukraine has been calling on Russia to agree to a mutual pause in strikes on energy infrastructure, and has also proposed extending the agreement to ports and other critical infrastructure. However, Moscow has shown no interest in these proposals and has instead intensified its attacks. At the same time, a source familiar with Russia’s position confirmed to the publication that Moscow and Kyiv have resumed talks on a possible ceasefire.
The Kremlin is in no hurry to reach an agreement before winter
According to sources close to the Kremlin, Putin does not want to conclude a deal before winter: the dictator, the FT’s sources claim, is counting on strikes against Ukraine’s energy sector during the cold season to increase pressure on Kyiv. Moscow may use problems with electricity and heating supplies as leverage in the negotiations – the publication’s sources believe that it may hope for concessions from Ukraine under the pressure of winter attacks.
Against the backdrop of the negotiations, US President Donald Trump stated on 14 September that Ukraine and Russia had allegedly agreed not to strike each other’s energy infrastructure. However, Ukrainian officials were surprised by this statement, as they had not received any confirmed guarantees from the Russian side, and the FT journalist himself subsequently refuted the information about a final agreement – the publication noted that previous attempts by the US to negotiate a cessation of attacks had ended without a lasting result.
Following Trump’s statement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was ready to take a corresponding step if its partners could guarantee Russia’s genuine willingness to cease the attacks. "If our American partners can ensure that Russia is genuinely prepared to end this war, which is aimed at destroying lives, and to do so in a genuine and lasting manner – Ukraine will take its own steps towards de-escalation," Zelenskyy said, adding that an end to the war is necessary for a reliable and long-term cessation of the attacks.
What led up to this?
- It should be recalled that on 14 September, US President Donald Trump stated that Ukraine and Russia had allegedly reached an agreement on a mutual cessation of strikes on energy facilities.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently replied to Trump, stating that Ukraine was prepared to refrain from striking Russian energy infrastructure if its partners guaranteed that russia would not strike Ukrainian infrastructure.
- The day before, Trump stated that Ukraine must cease its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, as this, he claimed, was leading to a shortage of diesel fuel.
