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Russia agreed to suspend strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed yesterday to speak by phone with President Trump to halt attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure for 30 days if Ukraine does the same, the Kremlin said. Putin has so far refused to agree to a broader cease-fire proposed by the United States and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was open to a ceasefire over attacks on energy infrastructure.
My colleague Paul Sonn, who covers Russia, told me that Putin told Trump “that the ‘key condition’ for resolving the conflict is for the West to end military and intelligence aid to Ukraine.” Paul added that this path would “effectively leave Ukraine permanently vulnerable to Russia.”
The White House called the pause a first step toward peace, but the outcome appears to have been very different from what Trump had envisioned before the two leaders spoke.
A partial ceasefire would benefit both countries. Ukraine has been struggling with repeated Russian attacks on its energy grid. A pause would also give Russia a break from Ukrainian strikes on its oil and gas facilities, threatening a major source of revenue.
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