Peskov calls energy ceasefire ‘very good’ but ties it to tanker safety, sanctions relief

Peskov called a potential energy ceasefire “a very good idea, a good initiative,” but immediately added that “ensuring the safe operation of oil refineries and increasing petroleum product output does not solve global problems.” He claimed the key problem was supposedly related to “the export of petroleum products.”

“It is necessary to ensure safe commercial shipping, including for oil tankers,” said the spokesperson for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Peskov named lifting sanctions as a second condition for resolving problems with petroleum product supplies. Only then, the Kremlin spokesperson claimed, would there be enough petroleum products and prices would fall.

Potential energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia

On Sept. 14, U.S. President Donald Trump said Ukraine had agreed not to strike Russian energy facilities and that Russia had supposedly agreed to do the same regarding Ukraine.

Trump also claimed that rising global diesel prices were “caused primarily by Russia’s war against Ukraine,” rather than the situation surrounding Iran.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for his part, said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian critical infrastructure if Ukraine’s partners could ensure that the aggressor had a “genuine willingness” not to attack Ukraine’s energy facilities, critical infrastructure and food supplies.

“Ukraine has proposed that its partners secure an agreement with Russia that would stop the destruction of critical infrastructure. Food, energy and other elements essential to sustaining life must be protected, and Russian strikes are aimed primarily at these,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

In his evening address, the president clarified that the United States had proposed a mutual halt to strikes on critical infrastructure by Ukraine and Russia, but that Russia had yet to demonstrate a genuine readiness to end the war.

Earlier, on Sept. 13, Trump said Ukraine should stop striking Russian energy facilities because the attacks were causing diesel shortages.

“Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has to do just one thing. He has to stop destroying the diesel fuel supplies in Russia. He’s causing a diesel fuel shortage,” the U.S. president told reporters during a visit to the Irish Open golf tournament.

The Kremlin said Moscow welcomes any calls for Ukraine to stop striking Russia’s economic infrastructure. At the same time, it did not say whether Russia would be prepared to stop striking Ukraine’s economic infrastructure if Kyiv accepted the proposal.