After yet another massive strike by the Russian Federation on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need to reassess the approaches to the negotiation process regarding the cessation of the war. The head of state underscored that Moscow’s aggressive actions indicate its unwillingness to seek peaceful solutions and the continuation of its offensive strategy.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Reaction of official Kyiv to the new attacks
Volodymyr Zelensky noted that the latest strike on Ukraine’s energy facilities was aimed at making life as difficult as possible for citizens during severe frosts. According to him, Russia deliberately took advantage of a short-term pause in shelling to accumulate weapons and strike on the coldest days when temperatures in significant areas of the country dropped to minus 20 degrees and below.
“They are also counting on war and the destruction of Ukraine and do not take diplomacy seriously. The work of our negotiation team will be adjusted accordingly.”
The president added that this missile strike was targeted and accompanied by a record number of ballistic missiles used.
Pause in attacks and trilateral negotiations
According to Zelensky, the idea of a temporary cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure arose after a personal request from U.S. President Donald Trump to Russian leader Vladimir Putin not to carry out such attacks for one week. This was intended to create favorable conditions for negotiations to end the war.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Trump indeed appealed to Putin with a request to suspend shelling of Kyiv and other cities until February 1. At the same time, Trump himself stated that his request was prompted by extreme weather conditions in Ukraine, and Putin agreed to a week-long pause.
Despite the temporary halt, on the night of February 2 to 3, the Russian army resumed massive attacks: numerous launches of kamikaze drones and missiles were recorded across various cities in Ukraine. As a result of these actions, at least 27 locations were affected, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, and Odesa regions. According to the Air Forces, over 500 missiles and drones were launched across Ukraine.
It should be emphasized that this new escalation occurred just before trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia, which were scheduled for February 4-5 in Abu Dhabi and were intended to be another attempt to find pathways to peace.