Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said Kyiv had seen no indication that Russia was willing to end the war, while warning that disruptions to Ukrainian grain exports could trigger a food crisis in parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, Zelenskyy said Moscow had taken no meaningful steps towards de-escalation, amid US President Donald Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire covering energy infrastructure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“We currently see no signs from Russia that it wants to end the war. We see no basic steps toward de-escalation,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
The Ukrainian President cautioned that international discussions focused on energy supplies and diesel risked diverting attention from the impact of disrupted grain shipments on global food security.
He said Russia’s blockade of maritime routes could affect millions of tonnes of grain exported by Ukraine to markets across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, potentially leading to shortages in the coming months.
“Everyone is talking about diesel and forgetting about grain,” Zelenskyy said, warning that countries dependent on Ukrainian exports could face an agricultural crisis if maritime shipments remained disrupted.
In a separate post on X, Zelenskyy proposed a possible arrangement with Trump under which Ukraine would refrain from attacking Russian diesel infrastructure if Kyiv received assurances that its own energy facilities would be protected.
“If we can be guaranteed protection for our power system, then we will not strike Russia’s diesel infrastructure in response,” he said, stressing the importance of safeguarding electricity supplies for Ukrainian civilians and European countries facing fuel shortages.
His remarks came after Trump called for an immediate energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, urging both sides to adhere to the proposed truce.
Zelenskyy has welcomed the proposal, saying Ukraine was prepared to support the ceasefire but that Russia must also commit to it. He said Kyiv was awaiting further details from Washington.
