Kyiv adviser sets reciprocity test for energy truce
Mykhailo Podolyak said any pause in attacks on critical infrastructure would require verifiable compliance by both sides rather than public declarations alone.
Ukraine would consider an arrangement to halt strikes on energy facilities only if Russia observed the same restrictions, presidential office adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in an interview with journalist Vadim Radionov on the YouTube channel “I Gryanul Grem.”
Podolyak argued that a viable initiative must include monitoring procedures, a response to violations and sufficient leverage for international mediators. Without those elements, he said, calls for restraint risk becoming a one-sided limitation on Ukraine while attacks against its civilian infrastructure continue.
He added that Kyiv retains the right to target assets supporting Russia’s military-industrial and energy capacity in response to ongoing strikes. Ukraine remains open to proposals that can reduce destruction, he said, but their value should be judged by implementation and enforceable guarantees.
The adviser also cautioned against treating proposed US tariffs and sanctions as automatic pressure on Moscow and its trading partners. Such measures may strengthen Washington’s negotiating position, he said, though their impact will depend on whether they are enacted and consistently enforced.