Ukraine – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stated that Ukraine is willing to agree to a partial ceasefire on energy infrastructure if Russia upholds its commitments under the agreement. His remarks came following a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump.
Zelenskiy emphasized that Ukraine would respond in kind should Moscow violate the terms of the ceasefire. The Ukrainian leader, who looked visibly fatigued during an online briefing, confirmed that Kyiv would compile a list of facilities that could be included in the ceasefire deal, which may extend beyond energy sites to include rail and port infrastructure.
His statement came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Trump and reportedly agreed to pause attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. However, Zelenskiy remained cautious, saying, “Until we have a formal agreement with Russia, until there is a signed document on even a partial ceasefire, I believe everything will remain at risk.”
The Ukrainian president described his latest call with Trump as “probably his most substantive and positive” interaction yet with the US leader, noting that he did not feel pressured during the discussion. This stands in stark contrast to their tense Oval Office meeting on February 28, which had been expected to produce a minerals trade agreement but instead devolved into a heated exchange.
When asked whether he still wanted Trump to visit Ukraine, Zelenskiy affirmed that he did and believed such a visit could support US efforts to help bring an end to the war.
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Zelenskiy revealed that Ukrainian and US officials could meet in Saudi Arabia on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday to work out the technical details of the proposed ceasefire. One key question, he noted, was how the ceasefire would be monitored to ensure compliance. He expressed confidence that if the United States was involved in enforcing the agreement, it would likely succeed.
A statement from the US presidential administration suggested that Trump proposed US involvement in the management, and possibly ownership, of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and energy infrastructure. However, Zelenskiy clarified that their discussion only covered the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine.
Kyiv would be open to US investment in the modernization of the facility if it were returned to Ukrainian control, he added.
Despite these discussions, Zelenskiy expressed skepticism that Putin would agree to a full ceasefire while Ukrainian troops maintained a presence in Russia’s western Kursk region. Ukrainian forces had launched a surprise incursion into the area in August last year but have since been pushed back to a small portion of territory after multiple Russian counteroffensives.
Meanwhile, Zelenskiy confirmed that Ukraine had received new supplies of F-16 fighter jets but declined to disclose the exact number or the delivery timeline.
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