President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia on energy and agricultural sector strikes.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is prepared to enter negotiations with Russia to establish specific agreements on halting strikes in the energy and agricultural sectors. Zelenskyy noted that Russia initiated the escalation by attempting to block Ukraine's ability to defend itself, leading to Ukraine to respond by targeting Russian oil facilities and the shadow fleet. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine is willing to offer a trade-off, such as sparing Russian gasoline and diesel in exchange for protection of Ukrainian electricity. He further noted that Ukraine is actively seeking mechanisms to preserve global food security and restore agricultural exports despite Russia's ongoing efforts to blockade the Black Sea maritime corridor. While Russia attempts a total blockade, Zelenskyy reported that several ships continue to enter and leave the Odesa ports daily, justifying Ukraine's retaliatory strikes against Russian agricultural exports as a response to the initial Russian blockade.