Zelenskyy offers reciprocal halt to energy strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is prepared to stop attacking Russian energy facilities if Russia halts strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, proposing a reciprocal ceasefire after meeting U.S. President Donald Trump in New York. No agreement has been established, and Zelenskyy said he did not know Moscow’s position. The leaders met for about 40 minutes Tuesday at United Nations headquarters on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Zelenskyy said the United States would communicate Ukraine’s proposal to Russia. The terms he outlined would cover attacks on energy systems, including electricity, heating and water supplies. Zelenskyy also said he was ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in a trilateral format involving Trump, and urged progress toward negotiations. He said he had seen no indication that Putin was ready to talk. The proposal for talks, like the energy ceasefire offer, has not been reported as accepted by Russia. The meeting came as attacks on energy facilities continued, according to reports.