Photo: Depositphotos
On Wednesday (26 March 2025), Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations of violating the US-mediated ceasefire to end attacks on energy facilities. At the same time, the European Union said it would not fulfil the conditions set by Russia for the planned ceasefire in the Black Sea. This was reported by Reuters.
The day before, on Tuesday, the United States announced separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia to stop attacks in the Black Sea and on each other’s energy infrastructure. However, the rhetoric of Kyiv and Moscow suggests that the parties remain far from an understanding. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the US side had informed Kyiv that the agreements would come into force immediately. In contrast, the Kremlin insists that the Black Sea agreement will not be effective until the sanctioned Russian state bank is connected to the international payment system. In response, the EU has stressed that this will not happen until Russia withdraws its troops from Ukraine.
Moscow claims to have stopped striking energy facilities on 18 March, but a senior Ukrainian presidential official said that Russia has since attacked at least eight Ukrainian energy facilities. On paper, the agreements represent an important step towards a ceasefire since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which unleashed Europe’s largest conflict since World War II along a 1,000-kilometre frontline.
Under the leadership of Donald Trump, who is seeking a quick peace, the US has issued two separate joint communiqués with Moscow and Kyiv outlining agreements but without a clear timeline for their implementation. On Wednesday night, Russia reported that it had shot down nine drones, including two over the Black Sea, and accused Ukraine of attempting to attack a gas storage facility in occupied Crimea, as well as energy infrastructure in Kursk and Bryansk regions. Ukraine denied the allegations, saying it had not carried out such strikes.
The Ukrainian military reported 117 attacks by Russian drones overnight. Local authorities in Kryvyi Rih said the city had experienced the largest drone attack in the conflict. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the US to increase sanctions against Russia, stressing that Moscow “does not seek real peace”. “Launching such massive attacks after ceasefire talks is a clear signal to the world that the Kremlin is not interested in peace,” he wrote on social media platform X.
On the same day, Zelenskyy arrived in Paris for the European summit on Ukraine, where he is likely to raise the issue of Russia’s escalation and the need for further support. The situation remains tense, and the US-brokered agreements are under threat due to mutual accusations and a lack of a common position. The EU, for its part, has taken a tough stance, linking any concessions to Russia to the complete withdrawal of its troops from Ukraine.
