Zelensky offers energy truce with Russia in exchange for US missile defense support
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine wants to maintain open and honest relations with the United States and is ready for an energy truce, provided it receives enough interceptor missiles to protect its energy infrastructure from Russian attacks.
He made the remarks in an interview with Corriere della Sera, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.
“I have always wanted to hide nothing from the President of the United States and never lie to him. In any case, Ukraine and the United States have more in common than the United States and Russia. Most people in Ukraine and the United States understand this. We would like to continue to have the same kind of open, honest, and pragmatic relations with the United States that we have today,” Zelensky said.
He noted that Ukraine and the United States had always maintained important and strong strategic relations.
According to Zelensky, bilateral ties began developing particularly actively during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
The president thanked the United States for its support and stressed that Ukraine had always built its relations with Washington on honesty, fairness, and transparency. As he put it, “If you lie while your people are at war, it is very painful.”
Zelensky also said Ukraine supported a reciprocal energy ceasefire.
“Our position is very simple. We support a mutual ceasefire on energy infrastructure. If we are expected not to retaliate against Russian energy facilities after Russia strikes our gas, electricity, oil—everything—then let us be clear: the Russians are striking all of it. America cannot stop them. Let us believe that America really wants to but cannot. So, as a partner, I meet President Trump halfway: if they strike us and we cannot strike back, that is dishonest and unfair. But if this is what you need, and you cannot rein in Putin, then give us interceptor missiles so I can protect our energy infrastructure. If you could not stop Putin, then help Ukraine,” he said.
As reported, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that while international efforts to end the war continue, Moscow is deliberately targeting Ukraine’s energy system, leaving tens of thousands of families without electricity.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
