KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s promise to forgo attacks on energy infrastructure was “greatly inconsistent with reality,” following a series of drone strikes throughout the nation overnight.
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Prior to Zelenskyy’s conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, the Ukrainian leader expressed his anticipation to learn more about Trump’s Tuesday call with Putin concerning a proposed limited ceasefire and to discuss forthcoming actions.
“Just last night, following Putin’s conversation with Trump, where Putin claimed he was supposedly issuing orders to cease strikes on Ukrainian energy, we witnessed the launch of 150 drones overnight, targeting energy facilities,” Zelenskyy remarked during a news conference in Helsinki alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Kremlin claims Ukraine is not honoring the agreement
In response, Russia asserted that it had ceased targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, accusing Kyiv of conducting attacks near one of its pipelines.
“Regrettably, we observe that currently, there is no reciprocity from the Kyiv regime,” stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Following Putin’s refusal to endorse a full 30-day ceasefire during negotiations with Trump, Russian strikes on civilian areas ensued, despite his indication of an immediate pause on attacks against the power grid.
The White House categorized the call between Trump and Putin as the initial step in a “movement toward peace,” which they hope will include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and eventually lead to a complete and lasting end to hostilities.
However, there were no signs that Putin had retreated from his prerequisites for a potential peace agreement, which are staunchly opposed by Kyiv.
Russia using ceasefire proposal as leverage
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, argued that Putin’s demands during his call with Trump would equate to “Ukrainian capitulation.”
“Putin is trying to use the temporary ceasefire proposal as leverage to extract preemptive concessions prior to formal negotiations aimed at concluding the war,” the ISW noted in its analysis of the call’s summaries.
Stubb labeled the dialogue between Putin and Trump a positive development, however, Finland’s president insisted that Russia must cease its aggressive actions.
“There are only two responses to the proposal put forth by the president of the United States: a yes or a no — no conditions, no exceptions,” Stubb stated. “Ukraine has accepted a ceasefire without any prerequisites. If Russia declines to agree, we must intensify our support for Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia to persuade them to engage in negotiations.”
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz indicated on social media that he and his Russian counterpart, Yuri Ushakov, reached an agreement on Wednesday for their teams to meet soon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, “to concentrate on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire that President Trump secured from Russia.”
It was unclear who would be part of the delegations or if Ukrainian officials would also participate in the discussions in Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine and Russia exchange accusations regarding attacks
Shortly after the lengthy conversation between Trump and Putin on Tuesday, air raid sirens were activated in Kyiv, followed by explosions as residents sought shelter.
Despite defense efforts, numerous strikes impacted civilian infrastructure, including two hospitals, a railway line, and over 20 homes, as reported by Zelenskyy. Russian drones were sighted in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy regions.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces launched seven drones at energy facilities associated with Ukraine’s military-industrial complex in the southern Mykolaiv region, but they were shot down following Putin’s directive to avoid targeting energy infrastructure.
Moscow accused Ukraine of striking its energy facility in the Krasnodar region, which borders the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, several hours after the Trump-Putin conversations. The ministry reported that three drones targeted oil transfer equipment linked to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, resulting in a fire and a loss of pressure in one oil tank.
“It is evidently clear that we are witnessing yet another provocation orchestrated by the Kyiv regime, aimed at undermining the peace initiatives of the U.S. president,” the ministry stated.
Russia also asserted that its air defenses intercepted 57 Ukrainian drones over the Azov Sea and several Russian regions, including the border provinces of Kursk and Bryansk, alongside nearby regions of Oryol and Tula.
Zelenskyy emphasized that “mere words about a ceasefire” would not suffice.
“If the Russians refrain from striking our facilities, we will assuredly not target theirs,” he stated.
Ukraine’s non-negotiable stance
Zelenskyy dismissed Putin’s principal condition that Western allies cease military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine, arguing that such actions would jeopardize lives by leaving citizens unaware of impending air raids, thereby perpetuating the war.
“I don’t believe anyone should concede regarding assistance to Ukraine; instead, support for Ukraine should be heightened,” Zelenskyy remarked. “This would signal that Ukraine is prepared for any unexpected moves from the Russians.”
Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, mentioned that it was “entirely unsurprising” that Putin rejected the ceasefire, highlighting that it would be “imprudent for him to convey that directly to President Trump, considering Trump has made ending the war a top priority.”
“What we currently have is essentially a competition between Kyiv and Moscow to convince Trump that the other is obstructing his objective of ending the war,” Gould-Davies explained.
Zelenskyy pointed out that one of the most challenging topics in future negotiations would be concerning territorial concessions.
“For us, the red line is the acknowledgment of the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories as Russian,” he asserted. “We will not accept that.”
Yehor Konovalov in Kyiv, Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Aamer Madhani in Washington, and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.
