The Kremlin announced on Friday that the 30-day pause on attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has officially come to an end.
The temporary halt in strikes was first declared on March 18, following a phone conversation between Putin and United States President, Donald Trump.
However, the ceasefire was marred by mutual accusations from both Moscow and Kyiv, each blaming the other for violations.
Speaking during a press briefing, Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov confirmed, “The month has indeed expired,” adding, “As of this time, there have been no other instructions from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Putin.”
The moratorium, though brief, stood as one of the few agreements Trump managed to extract from Russia in his broader efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire in the ongoing three-year conflict.
Putin, however, turned down a joint proposal from the US and Ukraine that called for an unconditional and complete ceasefire.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, cast doubt on the Kremlin’s commitment from the outset, insisting that “Russia was never serious about the moratorium and that Moscow was continuing to strike Ukraine’s energy targets ‘despite Putin’s words’.”
Meanwhile, at a United Nations Security Council meeting, Russia’s ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, pointed fingers at Ukraine, accusing it of disregarding the energy truce.
