Ukraine is ready to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Moscow halts attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday, calling for a mutual arrangement backed by real guarantees.
Zelenskyy made the proposal on Oct. 11 after U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that Kyiv unilaterally end its attacks on Russian refineries. Ukraine rejected a one-sided halt but left open the possibility of a reciprocal energy truce.
“Ukraine will be ready to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Russia stops striking our energy infrastructure,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, according to The Associated Press. Reuters reported that he said any de-escalation must be mutual and include real guarantees.
Russia had not publicly accepted the proposal at the time of publication.
Trump’s Diesel Deal With Russia
The dispute followed a telephone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said Russia had agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel fuel to the U.S. and global markets. He also announced another 500,000 tons for November, followed by 1 million tons and, depending on the condition of Russian refineries, a further 3 million tons within a short period.
Trump blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for higher U.S. diesel prices and said Ukraine should stop them. Kyiv has argued that its campaign targets infrastructure supporting Russia’s war effort and that Moscow continues to attack Ukraine’s power system.
Strikes Continue on Both Sides
The proposal came as long-range attacks continued. AP reported that a Ukrainian drone strike shut down a Yandex data center in Vladimir, east of Moscow, marking the third attack on the Russian technology company’s facilities in four days. Yandex said no one was injured, but the incident disrupted services in several countries.
Zelenskyy also said the death toll from Russia’s Oct. 10 attack on Zaporizhzhia had risen to 23, including four children. Rescue operations had continued after earlier reports listed fewer casualties.
The Ukrainian president said talks with European partners on additional air-defense packages were continuing. Ukraine’s foreign minister was also expected to raise air defense, sanctions and the country’s EU accession process at the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
The full Russian-language report is available from Vesti Baku.