Zelenskyy says halt to energy infrastructure attacks to be discussed at Geneva talks

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a proposed halt to attacks on energy infrastructure will be discussed at upcoming peace talks in Geneva but declined to provide details, saying the matter will not be addressed publicly at this stage.

Speaking to reporters in Munich, Zelenskyy refrained from elaborating when asked whether the matter would be part of the agenda at the next round of negotiations.

“We will not speak publicly about the energy truce yet,” he said in response to a question from an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov also confirmed the issue is expected to be raised.

“This issue will be discussed during the negotiations, but we cannot discuss it publicly,” Umerov said.

An energy truce refers to a mutual suspension of strikes on power plants, transmission facilities and other critical energy infrastructure, which have been frequent targets during the conflict.

Zelenskyy did not specify what such an arrangement could include, as exchanges of attacks on infrastructure continue.

The comments came ahead of a new round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine scheduled for Feb. 17-18 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Kremlin has said the meeting will take place in a trilateral format involving Russia, the US and Ukraine, without European representatives.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s delegation will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and described the talks as the next step in a US-mediated process.

Russia and Ukraine previously held two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi in January and earlier this month that resulted in an agreement on a prisoner exchange. Ukrainian officials, including Umerov, have said Kyiv’s delegation has begun preparations for the Geneva meeting with the aim of achieving what they call a sustainable and lasting peace.