Putin rejects energy ceasefire before winter, FT reports

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not intend to agree to a halt in strikes on energy infrastructure before winter, the Financial Times reported on Monday, even as U.S. President Donald Trump declared that both sides had already reached such an agreement.hromadske+1

The Kremlin believes that continued Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system could increase pressure on Kyiv and force it into concessions as cold weather approaches, according to people familiar with Moscow's position cited by the FT.hromadske

Trump's Announcement Catches Kyiv Off Guard

Trump said on Monday, September 14, that "Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do the same," linking the war to rising global diesel prices. But the announcement caught Ukrainian officials off guard, as Kyiv had not received reliable guarantees that Russia would honor any such agreement, the FT reported.unn

Neither Kyiv nor Moscow confirmed that a deal had been reached. The Kremlin, however, welcomed Trump's call on Ukraine to stop striking Russian diesel infrastructure. "Any call on the Kyiv regime to stop attacks on civilian economic infrastructure can only be welcomed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday, according to Reuters.reuters+1

Zelenskyy Sets Conditions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by saying Ukraine was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities, but only if international partners could guarantee that Russia would genuinely stop attacking Ukrainian electricity, energy facilities, critical infrastructure, and food transportation routes. He added that any such arrangement would have to be long-term rather than temporary, and said Ukraine was not convinced Russia was willing to abide by any agreement.hromadske

Two Ukrainian officials told the FT they believed Trump's announcement was intended to demonstrate to Americans concerned about high fuel prices that he was working to bring them down.hromadske

Fuel Shortages and Elections Loom

A wave of long-distance Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries in recent months has reduced Russia's fuel production, triggering gasoline shortages across the country ahead of parliamentary elections set for September 18 to 20. Peskov attributed worsening global energy markets mainly to "instability and new rounds of escalation in the Persian Gulf region" and said a Russian export ban on diesel should help boost the domestic market.reuters

Ukraine has for months pushed for mutual restrictions on strikes against energy facilities, ports, and other critical infrastructure, but Moscow rejected those proposals and instead intensified its attacks, the FT reported.hromadske