President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Russia was “not ready” for an energy truce proposed by the US during recent peace talks with Ukrainian and US officials in Abu Dhabi.
Previously, Zelensky said that the US delegation had suggested both sides halt strikes on energy infrastructure (and potentially other critical facilities) during the talks, which were hosted by the United Arab Emirates on Feb. 3-4.
A week on, Zelensky said on Telegram that Russia appears not to have accepted the US proposal.
“We have not received an answer from the Russians regarding the energy truce. Probably, on the contrary: we received an answer in the form of drones and missile attacks,” Zelensky said.
The president also addressed speculation about the location of future trilateral talks, which he said on Feb. 3 would most likely be hosted by the US.
Zelensky said that Ukraine had immediately accepted the US proposal to meet again in Miami at the end of the talks in Abu Dhabi last week, but that Russia remained “hesitant.”
“It doesn’t matter to us whether we meet in Miami or in Abu Dhabi. The main thing is that there is a result,” Zelensky added.
Also on Wednesday, Zelensky told Bloomberg that the US-hosted talks would most likely take place on Feb. 17-18, when negotiators plan to discuss a US proposal to establish a free economic “buffer” zone in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.