Zelenskyy Offers Pause on Strikes      09/15 06:14

   

   KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Ukraine 
is ready to halt its strikes on Russian territory if allies can secure a 
genuine Russian commitment not to hit Ukraine's critical infrastructure.

   His comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed in a social 
media post that Russia and Ukraine had agreed "not to hit" each other's energy 
infrastructure, though Trump did not offer further details on the purported 
agreement.

   Russia did not immediately comment on Trump's claim. Previous efforts to 
broker even a partial ceasefire have repeatedly fallen apart within hours, with 
both sides accusing each other of violations.

   Trump did not offer further details about the agreement but it comes a day 
after the U.S. president called on Zelenskyy to stop targeting Russian oil 
refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, 
claiming the attacks are causing a global shortage. Diesel prices have surged 
in the U.S., and high fuel costs associated with the Iran war have become a 
major issue for Trump's party in upcoming congressional elections.

   Ukraine still awaits concrete ceasefire plan from allies

   He also claimed that the rise in the price of global diesel fuel "is mostly 
caused by the Russian/Ukraine war" and not Iran. But restricted shipments 
caused by the slowdown of oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz and damaged 
refining systems in Russia are causing strains in the energy market.

   In his post, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has proposed that partners help secure 
an agreement with Russia for a ceasefire. It's not the first time Kyiv has 
floated the idea.

   "Every day, Ukrainian energy facilities, port infrastructure, logistics, 
even food and pharmaceutical warehouses become targets," he said. "The war must 
be ended. And a de-escalation step regarding critical infrastructure could be a 
first step toward peace."

   Zelenskyy said he "expects concrete proposals from our partners."

   Trump on Sunday called on Zelenskyy to stop the strikes. Afterward, Kremlin 
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any call on Kyiv to stop strikes on civilian 
economic infrastructure "can only be welcomed."

   NATO chief Rutte vows more support for Ukraine after Russian drone strikes 
near Polish border

   NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Monday that Russian drone strikes 
near the Ukraine-Poland border -- one of which hit a train shortly after senior 
visiting officials had passed through the same station -- would drive the 
military alliance to increase its support for Kyiv, calling Sunday's attacks a 
sign of Moscow's growing desperation.

   The strikes "close to NATO territory" show Russian President Vladimir 
Putin's "desperation and also his desire to sow fear and terror," Rutte said at 
NATO's political headquarters in Brussels. "Russia is growing increasingly 
reckless as it continues its terrible war against Ukraine."

   Rutte pledged to increase support for Ukraine and bolster the 32-nation 
alliance's own defenses along its long eastern border with Russia.

   "He thinks that he can stop us from supporting Ukraine and that he can 
undermine our unity. He is wrong," the NATO chief said of Putin.

   Sunday's strikes near the Polish border are the latest in a string of 
incidents that officials say point to a deliberate pattern of escalation by 
Putin, as Moscow tests NATO's response while pressing its offensive in Ukraine.

   Poland and Ukraine increase security cooperation along border

   Rutte's comments came as Poland pledged increased security along its border 
with Ukraine after a wave of Russian drone strikes near the frontier, including 
two that landed within kilometers of Polish territory.

   Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned Sunday that Moscow appears poised 
to intensify its campaign against Ukraine's borders with European countries. 
Ukraine is under mounting pressure from Russia's intensifying air campaign that 
uses ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones to pierce defenses.

   "These coming weeks and months will be a time of very intensified actions on 
the Russian side, and unfortunately we cannot rule out that this escalation 
will also affect our territory," Tusk said Sunday after a governmental security 
briefing in Warsaw. He issued a similar warning on Thursday.

   Defense Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Monday in a post on X that 
the Polish army recovered what was believed to be a Russian military drone from 
the Baltic Sea near the coastal village of Jaroslawiec.

   Polish officials said intelligence reports, including a CIA briefing last 
week, suggested Russia was likely to attack border points and intensify 
sabotage actions inside European countries as part of its efforts to discourage 
partners from supporting Ukraine.

   Kremlin says Russia will continue strikes throughout Ukraine

   Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked Monday about the strike on the train 
near the Polish border, said Russian forces were operating "across the entire 
territory of Ukraine and continue to do so -- and will continue to do so."

   Peskov noted the potential role of Global South nations in a settlement, 
saying "any country can use its influence on the Kyiv regime to encourage it to 
show greater flexibility."

   Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi each 
expressed willingness to help broker a settlement during recent meetings with 
Putin, who briefed them on the situation in Ukraine, Peskov said.

   Peskov also addressed U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Ukraine to halt 
strikes on Russian diesel fuel facilities, saying "any call on the Kyiv regime 
to stop strikes on civilian economic infrastructure can only be welcomed."

   Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt 
strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and 
distribute diesel, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage. He spoke 
after diesel prices in the U.S. hit a record on Friday, soaring past an average 
of $6 per gallon.