President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces carried out overnight strikes against targets in Russia, including an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and a military airfield in the Rostov region.
Peace efforts to end Russia’s 4 1/2-year full-scale invasion have stalled, with the issue of territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine among the central sticking points. Successive rounds of U.S.-brokered talks have failed to produce a breakthrough. Ukraine is also seeking security guarantees from partners for a deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post Monday that Russia and Ukraine had mutually agreed to cease attacking each other's energy facilities. Such strikes have led to significant supply issues in both countries.
In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Zelenskyy pushed back on Trump's claim, saying that while an energy truce was discussed during a recent meeting in Kyiv with Trump’s representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, he would agree only if Russia ceases its attacks on Ukrainian energy sites.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine is ready to agree to a truce covering attacks on energy infrastructure and the Black Sea. But speaking at a joint press briefing with his Slovenian counterpart, Tone Kajzer, Sybiha said he has yet to see any indication that Russia is prepared to do the same.
He welcomed U.S. efforts to broker such an agreement and said active U.S. involvement could make a truce possible. Sybiha also said Ukraine was preparing for a meeting between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this month.
