President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Ukraine’s readiness to support a mutual halt to strikes on critical infrastructure, aligning with a US proposal for de-escalation. In his address, he emphasized that any agreement must require reciprocal commitments from both sides, noting that Ukraine could cease its strikes only if Russia halted its attacks on Ukrainian targets.
The US President recently indicated that both Ukraine and Russia had agreed to refrain from targeting each other’s energy infrastructure. However, Zelensky maintained a firm stance, highlighting that Ukraine’s strikes were impacting Russia’s war economy and reinforcing the need for genuine compliance from Moscow.
The Kremlin welcomed discussions around halting Ukrainian strikes but did not commit to stopping Russian attacks on Ukraine. Meanwhile, former US Ambassador Daniel Fried expressed that any agreement on halting energy infrastructure attacks should not place the burden solely on Ukraine without reciprocal actions from Russia.
Congress is also moving towards implementing stricter sanctions on Russia, with discussions ongoing about bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing economic pressure.
