Russia and Ukraine’s top diplomats exchanged sharp accusations Monday at a high-level diplomatic conference in Turkey, each blaming the other for violating a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement aimed at halting attacks on critical energy infrastructure.
The tense exchange came during the sidelines of a broader international summit in Ankara, where foreign ministers from both countries reiterated their support for a 30-day pause in hostilities in principle but accused one another of undermining the deal’s intent through recent military actions.
“Despite our agreement to halt strikes on energy facilities, Ukrainian forces have launched multiple drone attacks on power stations in Donetsk and Luhansk,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “These are direct violations of the terms discussed in Riyadh.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pushed back strongly, accusing Moscow of continuing air assaults on key grid infrastructure near Kharkiv and Odesa. “Russia’s interpretation of a ceasefire is entirely one-sided,” Kuleba said. “We are defending our territory against illegal aggression.”
The ceasefire, first proposed by U.S. diplomats during behind-the-scenes negotiations in Saudi Arabia last month, was intended to reduce civilian suffering during the ongoing conflict, now entering its third year. But despite preliminary agreements, no formal ceasefire document has been signed by either side.
State Department officials said Washington remains “cautiously optimistic” that both countries can move toward formalizing the agreement in the coming weeks. “De-escalation is critical especially when civilian infrastructure is at stake,” a U.S. official said.
Analysts warn that without verifiable enforcement mechanisms or a multilateral monitoring body, any truce remains fragile. Both Kyiv and Moscow have used pauses in the past to regroup militarily, raising skepticism about long-term commitments.
Meanwhile, Turkish and Saudi officials say they are working behind the scenes to bring both parties back to the table for another round of mediated discussions.
