Ukraine, Russia Trade Barbs Over Energy Site Strikes

Ukraine and Russia accused one another on Wednesday of flouting a truce on energy strikes brokered by the United States, and the European Union said it would not meet conditions set by Russia for a planned ceasefire in the Black Sea.

- Reuters

KYIV:

The United States announced separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday to pause their strikes in the Black Sea and against each other's energy targets, but the rhetoric from Moscow and Kyiv suggested they remained far apart.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the US side told Kyiv the deals were effective as soon as they were announced. But the Kremlin said the Black Sea agreement would not enter force until a sanctioned Russian state bank was reconnected to the international payment system. Europe said that would not happen until a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.