Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of attacking civilian infrastructure hours after Moscow agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump has pushed for a full 30-day ceasefire as a first step toward a broader solution to the more than three-year-old Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, in a 90-minute phone call with President Trump on March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a full ceasefire, stressing that any such agreement would depend on the West halting all military aid to Ukraine.
Trump-Putin Phone Call: Russia Stops Attacks on Ukrainian Energy Facilities
President Putin has ordered the Russian military to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy targets for 30 days, according to the Kremlin. Mr Zelensky welcomed the proposed ceasefire targeting energy facilities but said he needed more “details” from the US.
Following a phone call between President Trump and President Putin on March 18, US special envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News that talks with Russia on the Russia-Ukraine conflict will take place in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on March 23.
Image believed to be Russian weapons system firing in conflict with Ukraine
Photo: TASS screenshot
However, just hours after the phone call, explosions were heard and air raid sirens sounded in Ukraine, according to AFP.
President Zelensky said today, March 19, that "there have been attacks, specifically on civilian infrastructure," including a hospital in Ukraine's Sumy region. "These nighttime attacks by Russia have destroyed the energy sector, infrastructure and the normal life of the Ukrainian people. Today, Mr. Putin rejected the proposal for a complete ceasefire," Mr. Zelensky said.
There is no information yet on Russia's reaction to Ukraine's new accusations.
Mr Zelensky accepted a proposal for a full ceasefire during talks in Saudi Arabia last week, and criticised Russia for not being ready to reach an agreement. "They are not ready to end this war, and we can see that," Mr Zelensky stressed.
On the other hand, Mr Zelensky has declared that the Ukrainian army will continue to fight in Russia's Kursk province "as long as we need", after days of heavy Russian advances into the area partially controlled by Kyiv's forces last year.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported today that authorities in Russia’s Krasnodar region alleged that a Ukrainian drone attack caused a small fire at an oil depot near the village of Kavkazskaya. No one was injured in the fire, which spread over an area of 20 square meters , but 30 employees were evacuated, the regional government said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine has not commented on the information Russia provided.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-zelensky-cao-buoc-nga-tan-cong-ha-tang-dan-su-ukraine-sau-cuoc-dien-dam-trump-putin-185250319095456812.htm
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