US proposes unfreezing Russian assets for Ukraine peace – FT

US proposes unfreezing Russian assets for Ukraine peace

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The Financial Times reports that the US has proposed unfreezing Russian assets as part of efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine. The proposal is in line with Washington's pursuit of economic normalization with Moscow without meaningful Russian concessions.

According to Meduza English, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries. Zelensky stated that Ukraine had held off on striking Russian oil refineries for three days at the request of US President Donald Trump.

Russia, however, had not honored the so-called energy ceasefire, Zelensky said, continuing to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure and killing about 100 civilians over the past week. The Ukrainian president said, “The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” in an interview with the Financial Times.

The first strike by Ukraine's military after the pause appears to have hit the Ryazan oil refinery, which is one of the key fuel suppliers for Moscow and the Moscow region. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Ukrainian forces had struck two oil refineries, one in the Saratov region and one in the Ryazan region.