Ukraine, together with the United States, is exploring the possibility of approaching the Russian Federation with a proposal to establish an energy truce. Under this scenario, both sides would cease attacks on energy infrastructure: Russia would stop targeting Ukrainian facilities, while Ukraine would refrain from attacking oil depots and tankers of the so-called “shadow fleet” of the Russian Federation. At the same time, sources indicate that the likelihood of reaching an agreement is low.
This is reported by Finway
Trilateral Talks in the Capital of the UAE
According to a senior American official, a trilateral meeting is expected to take place soon in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Friday, January 23, and Saturday, January 24. However, as noted by the Office of the President, formal confirmation of this meeting has not yet been received, and both the Ukrainian and American sides are still awaiting an official response from Russia.
Prospects for a Truce and Positions of the Parties
The Russian side, according to information, intends to propose a negotiation format similar to last year’s meeting in Abu Dhabi, where representatives of Ukraine and Russia communicated separately with American officials, avoiding direct contact with each other. The proposed truce involves halting strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities by Moscow in exchange for Kyiv stopping attacks on Russian oil refineries and vessels of the “shadow fleet”.
“Negotiations with Russia regarding this proposal are not at an advanced stage, and Putin is unlikely to agree, as he considers pressure on Ukrainian energy infrastructure an important lever of influence.”
For its part, a Ukrainian official noted that Kyiv is also in no rush to agree to an energy truce, as the current strategy of using long-range drones has proven effective in striking Russian oil and gas facilities and tankers.