Zelenskiy Warns Russia of a Painful Winter If Energy Truce Talks Fail
At the UN, Zelenskiy warned Russia of retaliation if no winter energy truce is reached, while Moscow rejected any pause in fighting.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the United Nations on Wednesday that Ukraine would retaliate and make the coming winter hard for Russia if the two sides fail to agree a truce covering energy attacks before the cold season.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Zelenskiy said Ukrainians knew this winter could be severe for them, but that Kyiv would have no choice but to respond in kind. He argued that de-escalation steps were needed before winter and called for stronger diplomacy, pointing to the influence Chinese President Xi Jinping could exert on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine and its allies are trying to secure limited agreements on energy infrastructure and Black Sea shipping, fearing a fresh wave of Russian strikes on power and heating facilities. Moscow has continued to show little appetite for broader negotiations to end the war.
Russia possesses a far larger missile arsenal, which it has used against Ukraine throughout the conflict, while Kyiv has developed and deployed thousands of long-range drones to hit Russian warehouses, port infrastructure and oil refineries.
Zelenskiy met US President Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss a ceasefire on energy-related targets. Xi, who did not attend the UN gathering, was due to hold White House talks with Trump on Thursday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. Rubio said afterwards that both Ukraine and Russia had expressed interest in a limited ceasefire covering grain and energy targets, but there was no immediate sign of movement from Moscow. A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said the meeting had reaffirmed its commitment to the objectives of what it calls its special military operation.
Addressing the 15-member Security Council, Lavrov indicated Moscow would not accept any temporary halt to hostilities, saying Europe wanted only a pause to supply weapons to Kyiv. Top diplomats from Britain, France and Denmark condemned Russia's war, warning of dangerous escalation and a rise in civilian deaths over the summer.
In his General Assembly address, Zelenskiy repeatedly described Putin as "patient zero", saying he must be stopped and denied room to spread the war further. At a Crimean Platform summit on the sidelines, he said Kyiv was ready for a maritime truce in the Black Sea based on proposals put forward by Egypt, India and Turkey, and was waiting for Russia's response.
Top wheat importers in Asia, the Middle East and Africa that depend on the Black Sea region have struggled to secure supplies, and global wheat prices have soared.