Kremlin to present 'energy truce' as concession in future negotiations – ISW
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated this in an article, Ukrinform reports.
Analysts noted that, according to a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the moratorium on energy strikes was supposed to begin after trilateral talks on January 23–24 and last until the next round of negotiations, which were initially scheduled for February 1 but were later postponed to February 4 and 5.
Zelensky said that the United States proposed the moratorium to de-escalate the war and that the US, Ukrainian, and Russian delegations planned to resolve the issue of further de-escalation measures during the second round of talks.
ISW emphasized that Moscow has previously proposed short-term ceasefire agreements in order to falsely portray the Kremlin as acting in good faith and to simulate Russia's interest in a peaceful settlement of the war. At the same time, Russia has repeatedly rejected calls by Ukraine and the United States for a longer-term or permanent moratorium on long-range strikes or a ceasefire.
The Kremlin agreed to a short-term moratorium only after inflicting serious damage on Ukraine's energy grid, the experts noted.
"The Kremlin will likely attempt to portray its adherence to this short-term energy strikes moratorium as a significant concession to gain leverage in the upcoming peace talks, even though the Kremlin used these few days to stockpile missiles for a larger strike package," the report says.
It is noted that the short-term moratorium did not constitute a meaningful concession by Russia, as Russian forces continued to attack Ukrainian logistics and infrastructure during the moratorium.
As Ukrinform reported, on the night of February 3 the enemy carried out the most powerful strike on Ukraine's energy sector since the beginning of 2026, using more than 70 missiles and 450 strike drones.
