Kremlin Rejects Energy Ceasefire But Says Full Peace Deal Requires Ukraine’s Participation

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not considering an energy ceasefire with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, claiming Moscow wants a broader peace agreement instead.“Russia needs peace, not a ceasefire,” Peskov said, according to Russian state news agency TASS.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Peskov’s comments came as a rebuke to US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of an energy truce between Kyiv and Moscow.Peskov added that a full resolution of the war was impossible without Ukrainian officials’ participation.“Someone there needs to make a responsible decision,” he said without specifying whom he meant.Russian leader Vladimir Putin has reportedly proposed a trilateral summit with his US and Chinese counterparts in November to discuss a settlement in Ukraine without Kyiv’s participation.Both the US and Russia also cast doubt on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimacy despite most Ukrainians expressing trust in the leader in recent polls.Peskov also commented on recent remarks by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who said Ukrainian, US and European delegations identified new ideas for ending the war during Tuesday’s talks in Norway, ahead of Trump envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to St. Petersburg.Stubb said the proposals would be conveyed to the Kremlin for consideration.“In my experience, peace requires patience, but unfortunately, war does not wait. People are dying every day. Our task is to do everything possible to put an end to this. And I believe that today was a step in the right direction,” Stubb said. Other Topics of Interest Trump Demands Zelensky ‘Make a Deal’ as Republican Senator Says Putin Is Playing Him ‘Like a Fiddle’ Senator Thom Tillis questions delays in Patriot missile transfers to Ukraine as Russian strikes kill civilians and Washington faces growing criticism. But Peskov dismissed the remarks once again, saying that simply repeating the general European position on Ukraine was “unlikely to be a constructive contribution to a settlement.”Peace on whose terms?While all parties – including the US and Europe – have called for peace in Ukraine, the terms have been polarizing.Europe has sided with Kyiv, arguing that Russia is responsible for the invasion and that any peace should be just and lasting, rather than a temporary ceasefire – similar to Moscow’s wording, except that Europe says this is necessary to prevent another Russian invasion.Russia has long cast its own Ukraine invasion as a war against NATO, initially demanding that Ukraine be demilitarized and barred from joining the alliance, and recently reiterated demands for Kyiv to voluntarily withdraw from eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, to which Moscow has laid claims via unrecognized referendums.Kyiv, meanwhile, called for a freeze along the contact lines, arguing that ceding the Donbas region could weaken its own security and allow Russia to recuperate for another invasion against the rest of Ukraine.Ukraine’s recent Operation Vivaldi also reversed much of Russia’s gains in the region throughout 2026.While the previous US administration backed Ukraine’s sovereignty, the Trump administration has pursued economic incentives to bring Moscow to the negotiating table, with Zelensky saying in March that Washington had pressured Kyiv to give up the Donbas in exchange for security guarantees.Energy truce in words onlyTrump had claimed on Oct. 11 that both Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. Neither Kyiv nor Moscow immediately confirmed the truce’s terms or how compliance would be monitored.The announcement followed Zelensky’s statement that Kyiv was ready to suspend long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow agreed to a reciprocal, verifiable halt to attacks on Ukraine’s electricity and heating networks.The proposed truce came amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv after Trump announced a deal allowing Russian diesel sales and criticized Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries.On Oct. 18, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of exploiting diplomatic efforts while intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. He said Russian forces had carried out 76 targeted strikes on energy facilities in the week following Trump’s announcement.During the same period, Russian forces launched nearly 2,700 strike drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs and 66 missiles across Ukraine, Sybiha said.Sybiha warned that easing sanctions or offering economic concessions without changes in Russia’s conduct would provide the Kremlin with additional revenue to finance its war. He urged Kyiv’s allies to increase pressure on Moscow rather than ease the economic costs of its aggression. Julia is a Deputy Head of News and correspondent for Kyiv Post who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of the Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies. Leo ChiuLeo Chiu is a journalist and editor based in Eastern Europe since 2015. He has witnessed two presidential elections in Belarus and traveled widely to conflict zones and contested regions, producing reporting that bridges the gap between major developments and local realities.