Dmitry Peskov. Photo: EPA-EFE/MAXIM SHEMETOV/POOL
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has accused Ukraine of “effectively disregarding” a 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure to which both Moscow and Kyiv had in principle agreed, state news agency TASS reported on Monday.
Peskov said that any extension to the moratorium, which, according to the Kremlin, expires on Wednesday, would “depend on Vladimir Putin”, noting that Russia would review the situation and “consult with the Americans” before deciding whether or not to extend it.
While both Moscow and Kyiv agreed to observe a US-brokered 30-day moratorium on targeting each other’s energy infrastructure last month, there has been considerable ambiguity about exactly when the deal came into force, with Moscow unilaterally deciding that it started on 18 March, the day Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump discussed the moratorium over the phone.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky subsequently denied that the starting date had been set for 18 March, and accused Moscow of “lying”. Indeed, it wasn’t until 25 March that formal statements confirming the agreement were published by Moscow, Kyiv and Washington.
Since the moratorium was announced, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the agreement. “Every Russian promise ends with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them,” Zelensky said earlier in April after accusing Russia of attacking a thermal power plant in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson.
