A full ceasefire in Ukraine is "unrealistic," Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said during an April 17 briefing, challenging diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting.
The statement came more than a month after Ukraine agreed to a full 30-day ceasefire proposal, introduced during earlier negotiations with the U.S. in Jeddah on March 11.
"We had an attempt at a limited ceasefire on energy infrastructure facilities, which was not observed by the Ukrainian side," Nebenzya claimed, referring to a partial deal reached during U.S.-mediated talks in Riyadh on March 25.
"Under the current circumstances, it is simply unrealistic to talk about a (full) ceasefire at this stage."
After meeting with U.S. delegates on March 11, Kyiv accepted the full ceasefire deal on the condition that Russia would also halt hostilities and refrain from undermining Ukraine's defenses. Moscow refused, demanding a halt to foreign military aid and restrictions on the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Russia's rejection of the full truce has coincided with strikes on Ukrainian power infrastructure. According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, Moscow has violated the energy ceasefire more than 30 times since its announcement.
The Kremlin denies the accusations. Its spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, claimed Russia continues to honor the agreement but "reserves the right" to abandon it if Ukraine fails to comply.
Russia claims that it has been upholding a 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy facilities since a verbal agreement in a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on March 18.
This period lapsed on April 17, and Peskov said no decision has been made yet on the next steps. Kyiv has dismissed the March 18 truce announcement as a Kremlin propaganda stunt without any substance, saying Russian forces have continued attacking Ukrainian energy facilities since then.
In turn, Russia accused Ukraine of targeting the Sudzha gas metering station in Kursk Oblast and other energy facilities — accusations that Kyiv has rejected — as Moscow seeks justifications to continue its attacks on Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky directed Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on March 28 to submit evidence of Russian violations to U.S. officials. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed Moscow had sent a list of ceasefire breaches to the U.S., the U.N., and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
With U.S.-led diplomatic talks stalled, Russia continues to insist on maximalist demands, showing little readiness for a genuine peace agreement. Ukraine maintains it remains committed to a complete ceasefire if Russia agrees to reciprocate.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
(Updated: )
