„We are ready for energy ceasefires, but we need to understand what that means for Ukraine. For Putin, energy means selling oil and gas. For us, energy means electricity and gas for our people,“ said the head of state.
According to him, the issue of stopping strikes on energy facilities was raised in negotiations in Kyiv by US presidential special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They suggested to V. Zelenskiy to no longer target oil refineries in Russia.
The President of Ukraine also pointed out that the energy sector is not the only issue that needs to be resolved. The blockade of grain exports is also a concern, as Ukraine needs to sell about 30 million tons of agricultural products, and Russia – 70 million tons.
„Even during war, certain opportunities can be found to reduce tension. If you conduct negotiations, it means you show goodwill or political will to end the war,“ he noted.
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump stated that Ukraine and Russia agreed to stop attacks on each other’s energy sector facilities.
According to him, Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries caused a shortage of diesel fuel and other oil products in the global market.
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Since the beginning of 2026, the Ukrainian armed forces have struck Russian oil refineries more than 70 times and put several dozen of them out of action.
In August alone, the operations of six large plants were halted for repairs. According to “EA Analytics” data, due to the shutdown of oil refineries, oil refining in Russia dropped to its lowest level since 2002. This, in turn, caused a fuel shortage in the country and a ban on exports.
The inability to transport and sell oil is a huge loss to the Russian budget, exceeding 100 billion per year. This year, the loss will be even greater – 150 billion.
„We never attack first. Our tactic is to respond where we can, because Putin does not respect the weak and would not even consider negotiations with them,“ emphasized V. Zelenskiy.
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