KYIV – Ukraine is on alert as it anticipates whether Russia will adhere to a promise, reportedly made to U.S. President Donald Trump, to suspend its assault on Ukraine’s power grid. This comes as Kyiv and other regions endure one of the harshest winters in recent years.
On Thursday night, Trump announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to a one-week ceasefire on attacks targeting the Ukrainian capital and other cities. This temporary pause comes at a critical time, as severe cold exacerbates the challenges faced by civilians.
However, Trump did not specify the timing of his conversation with Putin or when this ceasefire would start. The White House has yet to provide clarity on the details or timing of this agreement. As of now, there has been no official confirmation from the Kremlin regarding Putin’s commitment to this pause in hostilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about Putin’s intentions, especially as the full-scale invasion initiated by Russia on February 24, 2022, nears its four-year mark. Despite efforts led by the U.S. to broker peace, there are no indications that Moscow is ready to negotiate an end to the conflict.
“I do not believe that Russia intends to end the war. There is substantial evidence suggesting otherwise,” Zelenskyy remarked on Thursday, with his comments being publicized on Friday.
Zelenskyy also stated that Ukraine is prepared to cease its own attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries, provided that Moscow stops its bombardment of Ukraine’s power grid and other energy-related facilities.
Kyiv, which recently has endured severe power shortages, is forecast to enter a brutally cold stretch starting Friday that is expected to last into next week. Temperatures in some areas will drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit), the State Emergency Service said.
Russia has sought to deny Ukrainian civilians heat, light and running water over the course of the war, in a strategy that Ukrainian officials describe as “weaponizing winter.”
The possibility of a respite in energy sector attacks was discussed at last weekend’s meeting in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, between envoys of Ukraine, Russia and the United States, Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said that he had agreed to adhere to a “reciprocal approach” on energy assaults.
“If Russia does not strike us, we will … take corresponding steps,” he told reporters.
However, it was unclear whether and how any partial truce might work amid ongoing wider fighting and mistrust between the two countries.
“There is no ceasefire. There is no official agreement on a ceasefire, as is typically reached during negotiations,” Zelenskyy said. “There has been no direct dialogue and no direct agreements on this matter between us and Russia.”
Ukraine had originally posited the idea for an energy ceasefire at talks in Saudi Arabia last year, Zelenskyy said, but the proposal gained no traction.
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