Russia gives no confirmation of Trump energy ceasefire
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A Russian strike on a residential building in a suburb of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv has killed one person and injured 11, local officials say as the Kremlin declined to confirm a ceasefire on attacks against energy infrastructure in Ukraine announced by US President Donald Trump.
Kyiv’s military administration and mayor Vitali Klitschko said one person had died after the Monday evening strike on the 25-storey building.
Klitschko said 11 people were injured, with three being treated in hospital.
Pictures posted on unofficial Telegram channels showed parts of an apartment building ablaze.
Russian attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, previously conducted chiefly at night, now disrupt daily life virtually around the clock.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that talks with the United States were continuing on an energy truce and that Russia would provide an update if they produced any results.
Trump announced a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure on Sunday, surprising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy who nevertheless expressed his willingness to agree to the proposal.
Russia has repeatedly rejected calls for temporary ceasefire, insisting that the fighting will stop when a lasting settlement is reached.
Peskov praised US efforts to end the war.
“We are grateful for the continuation of these efforts,” he said.
He accused the governments of European countries, however, of doing nothing to promote peace.
“The Europeans – they tend to be on the side of the war, doing everything possible to ensure this war does not end,” Peskov said.
The Kremlin spokesman also rejected Zelenskiy’s renewed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire to allow Ukraine to hold elections.
“We do not want a ceasefire but a lasting peace, and we are prepared to do everything possible to achieve this,” Peskov said.
He claimed Zelenskiy was seeking the pause not to organise elections but to give Ukrainian forces time to regroup.
Zelenskiy said on Monday it was “increasingly clear” that Russia was unwilling to accept a US-proposed ceasefire on energy strikes as Russian forces hit six Ukrainian energy facilities on Monday.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
with Reuters
DPA