Talks on energy ceasefire with Ukraine ongoing: Kremlin spokesman

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that discussions regarding the energy ceasefire with Ukraine were still ongoing.

Peskov's remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced an immediate energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

"Effective immediately," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that "both parties have agreed."

The announcement came just two days after Trump unveiled a diesel supply deal with Russia.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Peskov said consultations on the energy ceasefire were still ongoing, and Russia currently had no information to release on the matter.

In response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's remarks that if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, Ukraine would hold elections, Peskov noted that Russia had repeatedly made clear on various occasions that what it sought is not a ceasefire but lasting peace, and that Russia would do everything to achieve this goal.

However, Russia believed that Kiev did not actually intend to hold elections but rather needed a 60-day period to regroup and continue the conflict, Peskov said.

Russia had publicly said that it would resume peace talks immediately following the State Duma elections, but Ukraine launched an unprecedentedly intense strikes against Moscow and even attempted to disrupt the elections, the spokesman said.

If Ukraine truly intended to hold elections, then Russian President Vladimir Putin would issue an order to refrain from striking Ukraine on the election day, and only on the election day, he said.

Zelensky, after hearing a report from the Ukrainian negotiating delegation on Monday, voiced his support for the energy ceasefire. However, he emphasized that Russia must also take reciprocal actions.

To date, Ukraine had not observed Russia fulfilling the ceasefire conditions announced by the United States, the Ukrainian president said, adding that Russian forces had continued to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing air raid sirens to sound multiple times throughout the day across Ukraine.

If these attacks were Russia's response to the U.S. ceasefire initiative, then Russia had once again missed an opportunity to advance the peace process, he said, stressing that whether the situation could be de-escalated depended largely on the U.S. stance, and it was necessary to continue pressuring Russia to implement the ceasefire arrangements.

Also on Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine was willing to implement the relevant arrangements for the energy ceasefire, but would consistently adhere to the principle of reciprocity.

He emphasized that this ceasefire must be jointly observed and implemented by both Russia and Ukraine, and Ukraine would not accept any unilateral restrictions or unequal ceasefire terms.

China hopes Colombia's peace process will continue to make new progress, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Sun Lei, said Monday at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Colombia.

Sun highlighted the headway made over the past decade and called for unified national efforts moving forward.

"A decade ago, the signing of the final peace agreement brought an end to Colombia's more than half-a-century-long civil war, setting an example of resolving conflicts through dialogue. Thanks to the joint efforts of successive Colombian governments, various sectors of society and the international community, positive progress has been made in implementing the peace agreement," Sun said.

"China hopes that the new Colombian government will prioritize the country's long-term development and the fundamental interests of its people, unite all parties, and continue to advance toward the goal of achieving comprehensive and lasting peace," he said.