Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that he stood by a proposal made to Russia for a ceasefire contingent on Moscow halting all attacks on energy infrastructure, APA reports citing Reuters.
Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address that the proposal had been conveyed to Moscow through the U.S. He also said work was continuing with U.S. negotiators on security guarantees, which he called the key to lasting peace.
"If Russia is ready to stop strikes on our energy infrastructure, we will be ready to respond in kind," he said. "This proposal has been conveyed to the Russian side through the Americans."
Moscow reacted coolly to Zelenskyy's proposal last week, saying it favoured an overall peace deal instead.
In his remarks on Monday, after an overnight attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa killed three people, Zelenskyy said Russia appeared unwilling to agree to an Easter ceasefire.
"We have repeatedly proposed to Russia a ceasefire at least for Easter, a special time of the year," he said. "But for them, all times are the same. Nothing is sacred."
