At Odds With Reality: Zelensky Calls out Putin's Energy Ceasefire
Zelenskyy Rejects Putin’s No-Strike Claim as Drones Pound Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pledge not to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as “very much at odds with reality” on Wednesday, hours after a massive overnight drone assault struck multiple regions, including power facilities.
Speaking at a press conference in Helsinki alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Zelenskyy pointed to the barrage of 150 Russian drones as evidence of Moscow’s duplicity, even as Putin reportedly discussed a ceasefire with U.S. President Donald Trump just a day earlier.
The overnight attacks, which began shortly after Tuesday’s Trump-Putin call, hit civilian targets across Ukraine, including a hospital in Sumy and cities in the Donetsk region. Air raid sirens blared in Kyiv as drones buzzed over regions like Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv, forcing residents into shelters.
Despite Russian claims of restraint, Ukraine’s defenses scrambled to repel the onslaught, with explosions lighting up the night sky.
Zelenskyy, who plans to speak with Trump later Wednesday, said the U.S. leader’s outreach to Putin offered a glimmer of hope for peace, but Russia’s actions suggested otherwise. “Words of a ceasefire aren’t enough,” he said, adding that Ukraine would refrain from striking Russian facilities only if Moscow reciprocated. “If the Russians don’t hit our facilities, we definitely won’t hit theirs.”
The Kremlin, however, painted a different picture. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Russia had halted energy strikes and accused Kyiv of sabotaging peace efforts by attacking an oil facility in Krasnodar, near annexed Crimea, hours after the Trump-Putin talks. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it followed Putin’s orders, even intercepting seven of its own drones aimed at Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region before they could hit military-related power sites. Moscow reported downing 57 Ukrainian drones over its territory, including Kursk and Bryansk, in what it called a defensive response.
The White House framed Trump’s call with Putin as an initial move toward de-escalation, floating ideas like a Black Sea maritime ceasefire. Yet Putin reportedly clung to demands—such as territorial concessions—that Kyiv flatly rejects. Zelenskyy underscored this sticking point, calling recognition of occupied Ukrainian land as Russian a “red line” his country won’t cross. Stubb echoed this, urging Russia to accept a no-conditions ceasefire or face tougher measures to force it to the table.
The conflicting narratives highlight the fragile state of diplomacy amid relentless violence. While Russia insists it’s honoring a pause on energy attacks, Ukraine points to damaged hospitals and power grids as proof of the opposite.
