Zelenskyy: Ukraine to give US list of facilities to protect against Russian attacks to avoid disagreements

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that the Ukrainian delegation will provide the United States with a list of civilian infrastructure facilities to be safeguarded from Russian attacks during the talks in Saudi Arabia on 24 March. Zelenskyy emphasised that this step is essential to prevent any misunderstandings between the parties regarding potential agreements.

Source: Zelenskyy at a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre following their talks

Details: Zelenskyy stressed that he brought up this issue during his conversation with Donald Trump. He added that it was crucial to prevent any differing interpretations of these agreements.

Quote: "From my conversation with President Trump, the key point is as follows: a ceasefire concerning the security of the energy systems of both countries. This means no attacks on energy infrastructure or other civilian infrastructure.

I raised this issue with President Trump and suggested that our side would take responsibility for preparing [a list of – ed.] civilian infrastructure [that can’t be targeted during the partial ceasefire]. I want to ensure there’s no misunderstanding regarding what the parties are agreeing upon."

Details: Zelenskyy also stated that American officials will meet separately with both the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia on 24 March.

"There will be our technical teams, as far as I understand it, the structure is such that there will be a meeting between Ukraine and America," the president said.

The US will first meet with Ukraine, followed by a meeting with Russia, or these meetings will be held in parallel, focusing on the same topic for each country, the president said.

Background:

• On 18 March, the Kremlin stated that Putin endorsed a proposal by Trump for Ukraine and Russia to mutually refrain from striking energy infrastructure for 30 days, issuing an appropriate order to the Russian military.
• However, in the early hours of 19 March, Russia launched a large-scale kamikaze drone attack, targeting civilian infrastructure in several oblasts of Ukraine. A direct hit was recorded on a hospital in the city of Sumy, as well as strikes on cities in Donetsk Oblast.

• On 19 March, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would prepare and provide its partners with a list of energy, infrastructure, and civilian targets for Russia to cease striking. In return, if Russia halts its attacks on these targets, Ukraine will also refrain from striking Russia's energy sector.
• On 20 March, Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, announced that consultations between Russian and US expert groups on Ukraine would be held in Riyadh on 24 March.

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