Ukraine and Russia have reached an agreement not to target each other's energy infrastructure. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, announced on September 14 in a Telegram post that Ukraine has proposed to its partners to sign an agreement with Russia to stop the destruction of critical infrastructure.
Emphasis on the Need for Genuine Commitment
Zelensky emphasized that if Ukraine's partners can secure a genuine commitment from Russia not to attack the power grid and other energy facilities and food supply routes, Ukraine is also prepared to refrain from attacks in return. He stated: "This agreement must be reliable and sustainable and should bring real benefits to people's lives, rather than falling apart after the Russians hold their 'elections' and tensions temporarily ease."
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Global Impacts and Fuel Crisis
Since the beginning of March, Ukraine has significantly increased its attacks on Russian refinery facilities, leading to a major fuel crisis in Russia. According to S&P Global Energy CERA's assessment, nearly half of Russia's main refining capacity was unusable by the end of August. Additionally, Russia has banned the export of diesel, marine fuel, and gas oil until the end of September, affecting global fuel prices.
Trump has also called for Ukraine to stop attacks on diesel facilities within Russia, claiming that Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries have caused a global diesel shortage. He added that such actions are detrimental to the entire world and Ukraine should refrain from targeting these facilities.
Currently, the diesel crack spread price in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp market has reached a record $98 per barrel, down from $85.9 per barrel on September 11. These prices clearly reflect the existing tensions in global markets and the impacts of crises in the Middle East and other factors.
Zelensky further announced plans to discuss issues related to maritime ceasefire and energy with Trump in New York at the end of September. He also stated: "If the Russians do not attack our energy infrastructure and our people have electricity, Ukraine will also refrain from attacking in return."
Meanwhile, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, has refrained from answering whether Russia is prepared not to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
