Russia and Ukraine are reportedly negotiating to suspend mutual attacks on energy infrastructure

Brussels – For now, they are only media rumors, but it seems that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are starting talks, mediated by Qatar, to reach an agreement that would protect their respective energy infrastructures from military attacks.

The news, reported by the Financial Times, has been picked up by several media outlets. It cites anonymous sources (some are qualified as “senior Ukrainian officials”). According to the FT, Kyiv is reportedly attempting to resume negotiations that had already begun in recent months under the mediation of Qatar to protect energy infrastructures. Those talks seemed on the verge of yielding an agreement with Moscow. However, they fizzled out in August when the Ukrainian army launched its surprise incursion across the Russian border into the Kursk oblast.

The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, refused to officially confirm the news, claiming that there are a lot of fake news that “have nothing to do with reality,” even in the traditionally more reliable media. On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that the outcome of the talks would show the actual willingness of his counterpart Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table to talk about the terms to end the conflict (or at least a truce). However, it is doubtful that such a discussion, if it ever takes place, could begin with the “victory plan” the Ukraine leader presented to the last European Council.

After two and a half years of war, most of Ukraine’s energy grid is badly damaged, destroyed, or under occupation by the invading army. Moscow’s heavy bombing of the country’s infrastructure has resumed in recent weeks. To address Kyiv’s growing difficulties in producing energy to keep its economy going and giving heat to its inhabitants, last month Brussels announced a financial package worth €160 million to repair Ukraine’s power grid (rebuilding some 2.5 GW of electrical capacity), connect it to that of the EU (exporting another 2 GW of power), and stabilize the flow of energy circulating through the country.

Although with different means and results, Ukraine is also seeking to strike the enemy’s energy infrastructure. Its attacks, primarily through drones, rockets, and missiles (rather than bombers, as Moscow does), have damaged several Russian plants, power plants, depots, and facilities (including in occupied Crimea), but have not significantly disrupted the Federation’s energy supply.

The nuclear facilities are the most critical points in the energy infrastructure of both warring sides. The Zaporizhzhia power plant, the largest in Ukraine and in the entire continent fell into Russian hands in March 2022. Since then, the two armies have never stopped blaming each other for attacks that endanger its facilities and, with them, the security of the entire region. Since Kyiv’s operation in the Kursk region started last August, fears grew even for Russia’s Kurchatov power plant.