Ukraine’s Presidential Office Chief Andriy Yermak firmly rejected recent media reports about alleged negotiations between Ukraine and Russia regarding mutual cessation of energy infrastructure strikes, according to an interview broadcast on Ukraine’s national telethon. 

This came in response to The Financial Times claims, which had cited informed sources about such preliminary talks. Halting attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure remains a critical issue as winter nears and Ukraine faces significant energy shortages due to Russian strikes. Ukraine, however, also strikes Russia back but targets military installations and logistics hubs, aiming to disrupt the supply chains supporting Russia’s military operations.

According to Yermak, Ukraine’s international engagement has instead focused on multilateral thematic conferences, including one on energy security co-organized with Qatar. These conferences, he emphasized, have proceeded without Russian participation.

“These are supposedly Ukraine-Russia negotiations – this is definitely untrue,” Yermak stated in the interview.

He explained that while third countries are welcome to implement separate agreements with both Ukraine and Russia based on established principles, no such arrangements currently exist. 

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that a mutual cessation of airstrikes on energy infrastructure by Ukraine and Russia could signal readiness for peace talks and potentially end the war’s active phase. He noted that Russia’s willingness to negotiate might hinge on the upcoming US presidential election. Zelenskyy emphasized that, while energy infrastructure is severely damaged, securing mutual energy security could mark a step toward de-escalation.

The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also denied media claims that Russia is negotiating with Ukraine to stop attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Ukraine wants all its territories back

Addressing broader peace prospects, Yermak indicated that while a diplomatic solution remains possible, any settlement must extend beyond the 24 February 2022 positions to prevent a repeated threat of Russian aggression.

“This diplomatic path cannot start from the line of 24 February 2022. This would be unfair, this would be wrong. And this would not comply with international law,” he stated.

According to Yermak, Ukraine’s ultimate goal remains the restoration of all its territories and its people, and there are various ways to achieve this.  

Zelenskyy has also made it clear that Ukraine will not accept any compromises that involve ceding territory to Russia. His administration insists on the complete withdrawal of Russian forces from all Ukrainian regions currently under occupation, including Crimea and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

Russia instead seeks to solidify its control over occupied territories while promoting a narrative of legitimacy for its actions.

Related:

• Zelenskyy: Mutual halt to airstrikes on energy infrastructure could bring war’s active phase to end
• Norway allocates $ 105 million for Ukrainian energy infrastructure recovery
• Ukraine and Russia in talks about halting strikes on energy plants – FT report
• Kremlin denies talks with Ukraine on abandoning energy attacks
• Germany allocates $217 million for Ukraine’s humanitarian winter aid amid Russian energy strikes