Ukraine and Russia have begun preliminary negotiations to explore a potential halt to air strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure, the Financial Times reported today.
The report, citing senior Ukrainian officials among its sources, notes that Ukraine is interested in resuming talks that had nearly reached an agreement in August under Qatari mediation.
However, those talks stalled after Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, bordering Ukraine.
“There are very early talks about potentially restarting something,” a diplomat briefed on the negotiations told FT, adding that discussions now focus on energy facilities.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed it, claiming that even reputable media sometimes disseminate false information unrelated to reality.
Since the start of Russia’s “special military operation” in 2022, a significant portion of Ukraine’s power capacity has been damaged or occupied by Russian forces, leaving Ukraine reliant on nuclear facilities and energy imports from Europe.
Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that Russian strikes have removed the gigawatt equivalent of over half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The European Union has proposed EU-funded repairs to restore approximately 2.5 GW, or 15% of Ukraine’s energy needs.
Initially lacking long-range capabilities, Ukraine has since developed long-range drones, which it has deployed to target sites deep inside Russia, including oil refineries, power plants, and military airfields.
