Russia Not Attacking Ukrainian Energy Facilities under Deal With U.S.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian forces are refraining from attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure under an agreement between Russia and the United States.

Peskov stated that the directive remains in effect by order of President Vladimir Putin but accused Ukraine of failing to comply, casting doubt on Kyiv’s leadership.

The Russian Defense Ministry previously reported that its forces had to shoot down seven of their own drones that were en route to Ukrainian energy targets before the pause was implemented. Despite this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not given a definitive response on whether Kyiv will fully abide by the deal, Moscow claimed.

Speaking in Helsinki alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Zelenskyy expressed support for a 30-day halt in energy infrastructure attacks but said Ukraine needed more details before committing. He insisted that the U.S. should act as a guarantor, saying, “Our side will maintain it as long as Russia holds up its end.” However, he also dismissed Russia’s broader peace proposals, claiming Moscow’s goal is to weaken Ukraine by disrupting its access to military aid.

The agreement follows a call between Trump and Putin, in which both leaders discussed a temporary pause but stopped short of a full ceasefire. Trump later stated on Truth Social that Putin had agreed to the suspension “with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a complete ceasefire and, ultimately, an end to this very horrible war.” He emphasized that the process was “in full force and effect.”

Meanwhile, Trump has proposed that the U.S. take operational control or ownership of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants to protect its energy sector. The conversation centered on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, which has been under Russian control since 2022. Kyiv has not publicly responded to the proposal.

Separately, Trump announced plans to sign a rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine “very shortly.” He said the agreement aligns with U.S. national security interests and follows his executive order to boost domestic production of critical minerals. Ukraine had been set to sign a similar deal earlier, but diplomatic tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy delayed negotiations.

While the Kremlin sees the energy strike pause as a potential step toward further talks, Moscow insists on guarantees that Ukraine will not use the break to mobilize or rearm. Whether the deal leads to broader negotiations remains uncertain, with both sides maintaining firm conditions for any long-term settlement.