The Kremlin on Monday declined to comment on President Trump’s claim that an agreement had been reached between Russia and Ukraine to halt strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of continuing to hit energy targets.
According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he couldn’t comment on the “energy truce” issue at this point. “Communication is ongoing. As soon as we have something to say on the issue, we will certainly inform you,” he said.
In other comments, Peskov rejected Zelensky’s call for a 60-day ceasefire to hold elections in Ukraine, but said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to order a halt to strikes on the day a vote would be held.
Peskiv said that if Ukraine “truly wants to hold elections, then the Russian president, as supreme commander-in-chief, will be ready to order the army not to strike Ukraine on election day.”
The Kremlin spokesman added that Russia doesn’t “need a ceasefire but a lasting peace that will endure for generations” and criticized Ukraine for launching a major drone attack during Russia’s parliamentary elections last month.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire. “The goal is one and very simple: to bargain for time in order to secure a respite,” the Russian diplomat said, referring to Zelensky.
“He said he was even ready to hold presidential elections if he was given two months to regain his strength. During that period, Europe would be able to supply him with new weapons to continue the terrorist war against the Russian people,” Lavrov added.
Zelensky made the comments about a 60-day ceasefire for elections in response to President Trump suggesting that Ukraine needs a new leader to make a deal with Russia. Zelensky’s term expired in May 2024, but he has remained in power because no elections have been held, and he has continued to reject the growing calls within Ukraine to hold a vote.
On Monday, Zelensky claimed that Russia struck gas production facilities in Ukraine. Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its forces had struck Ukrainian military transport infrastructure, drone production facilities, and troop positions over the previous 24 hours, but made no mention of strikes on energy infrastructure.
