Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Russia’s ceasefire conditions for the Black Sea as “unrealistic,” accusing Moscow of stalling negotiations to seize more territory, reports RTE.
Mr. Zelensky also warned that lifting sanctions on Russia at this stage would be a “disaster for diplomacy.”
His remarks followed a meeting with dozens of European leaders in Paris, aimed at securing guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, reports RTE.
Ukraine’s military has denied Russian claims that it targeted energy infrastructure after Moscow accused Kyiv of violating an agreement reached with the United States on Tuesday to halt such attacks.
Ukraine’s General Staff posted on social media that the “statement by the Russian defence ministry” alleging breaches of the agreement “is not true.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry stated that neither country had struck the other’s energy infrastructure since 25 March, reports RTE.
On Tuesday, the United States announced separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia to suspend attacks in the Black Sea and on energy facilities.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have intensified assaults along Ukraine’s northeastern border in an attempt to push into the Sumy region, Kyiv’s top general reported.
Sumy shares a border with Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops were nearly expelled from territory they seized during a cross-border offensive last August, reports RTE.
During a visit to Sumy, Oleksandr Syrskyi said his forces were conducting defensive and counter-offensive operations to maintain a buffer zone inside Kursk.
“Our soldiers continue to conduct a defensive operation to prevent the enemy from breaking deep into Ukrainian territory,” he stated on Facebook, reports RTE.
His comments followed a new warning from Mr. Zelensky, published in Le Figaro, that Russia was preparing a spring offensive targeting the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s border guard told local media yesterday that Russian sabotage groups had increased cross-border raids into Sumy.
In a separate incident, Russian shelling killed at least two people, damaged railway infrastructure, and partially disrupted power supplies in the southern city of Kherson, officials reported, reports RTE.
The regional governor stated on Telegram that “massive shelling” killed a 55-year-old woman and a man at a public transport station.
At least five others were injured, according to Roman Mrochko, the head of Kherson’s military administration.
A city train station was also hit, Ukraine’s state railway company confirmed. Power and water supply lines suffered damage, along with a train carriage, the company added, reports RTE.
As a result of partial power outages, trolley-bus services were temporarily halted, Mr. Mrochko noted.
Kherson remains a frequent target of Russian shelling and drone attacks.
Moscow’s troops still hold parts of the surrounding region, three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, reports RTE.
Earlier, Mr. Zelensky urged the United States and Ukraine’s Western allies to stay firm against Russian demands and narratives regarding the ongoing war.
However, he expressed concerns that pro-Kremlin rhetoric in the US was weakening pressure on Russia and failing to bring peace closer.
Speaking to a panel of European journalists in Paris ahead of this afternoon’s meeting of European leaders, Mr. Zelensky confirmed his willingness to engage in ceasefire talks to restore US aid and intelligence cooperation, reports RTE.
But he accused Russia of imposing additional conditions for a ceasefire in the Black Sea and on energy targets, mainly aimed at reducing sanctions pressure on Moscow.
“They are posing conditions on sanctions to the American side. If America stands strong … we are standing on our own land and are defending ourselves,” Mr. Zelensky stated, reports RTE.
“We have shown our resilience. And now it is very important for our partners to be at least as resilient as we are, though they have more capabilities,” he added, reports RTE.
Asked whether he believed the US would remain firm, he replied: “I hope so. God bless they will.”
While expressing gratitude for American support, Mr. Zelensky claimed the US had become “influenced” by Russian narratives surrounding the conflict.
“We cannot agree with these narratives. We are fighting for ourselves and we will fight against these narratives wherever they appear because there is simply no other way,” he said, reports RTE.
“The only thing we can do is reveal more truth. We must demonstrate with our own examples that we are fighting on the battlefield,” he added, reports RTE.
He accused US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, of “often repeating Kremlin narratives,” referencing Witkoff’s favorable remarks about President Vladimir Putin’s intentions and justification for Russian policies.
Recently, US rhetoric toward Russia has softened, with Mr. Witkoff stating he did not “regard Putin as a bad guy.”
“I don’t think this brings us any closer to peace. Unfortunately, I believe it only weakens the pressure from the Americas on Russia,” Mr. Zelensky commented, reports RTE.
“I have spoken with President [Donald] Trump many times and we are working at the intelligence level to exchange real, truthful information. Because Witkoff’s statements are a major obstacle for us,” he added, reports RTE.
Since invading Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has seized approximately 113,000 square kilometers—around 20% of Ukraine—fighting along a 1,000-kilometer front line.
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