President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a conversation with journalists, spoke about the course of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, where, according to him, the issue of a so-called energy truce was raised. The head of state emphasized that the parties failed to reach an agreement on this point: the Russian delegation stated that it did not have a mandate to make such decisions and suggested that the Ukrainian side contact the Kremlin leadership directly. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Zelenskyy's statement.
Negotiations in Abu Dhabi: Energy Truce Remains Unresolved
According to Zelenskyy, the Russian side at the meeting in Abu Dhabi showed no willingness to negotiate an energy truce. Representatives of the Russian Federation, as he reported, explained that they had no authority to make such a decision. As a result, the issue was not settled at the working negotiations level and was effectively "frozen" until a higher level. Zelenskyy noted that today "it is what it is" and emphasized that a ceasefire is not supported by Vladimir Putin personally.
"Resolve This With Putin": Position of the Russian Delegation
The Ukrainian leader said that other possible ceasefire agreements were not discussed in detail at the meeting either. The Russian side, according to him, directly pointed out to the Ukrainian team that such questions should be resolved with Putin. Zelenskyy relayed this formulation as a key argument, which, in his estimation, indicates that the Russian delegation lacked a real mandate for concessions regarding energy and a ceasefire.
Ukraine's Response: Proposal for a Leaders' Meeting
To this, as Zelenskyy recounted, the Ukrainian team responded that this was precisely the scenario for which a meeting at the level of heads of state was proposed: "That's what we proposed it for: if Putin decides everything for you, then let's have a leaders' meeting." Thus, Kyiv recorded that without the participation of the Russian president, the issue of an energy truce and a ceasefire cannot be closed at the negotiator level.
Context: Strikes on Energy After "Truce" Announcement by Trump
Zelenskyy's statement came against the backdrop of previously released data that after US President Donald Trump announced an "energy truce" in October 2026, Russia, according to Kyiv's assessment, continued to strike energy and oil and gas infrastructure in Ukraine. According to Zelenskyy, in the week following this announcement, 76 strikes were made on energy facilities, with nearly 2,700 attack drones, about 1,700 aerial bombs, and 66 missiles launched, with energy objects remaining the primary targets. These figures were shared by him on social media and confirmed by a number of Ukrainian and international publications.
Conclusion: American Team to Visit Putin
Following the discussion in Abu Dhabi, as Zelenskyy reported, the parties agreed that the American team would go to Putin to discuss the issue of an energy truce and a ceasefire. Thus, the decision on the key point for Ukraine — halting strikes on energy infrastructure — was effectively transferred to the level of direct dialogue with the Russian leader, rather than being cemented within the framework of working negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
