Putin Rejects Strike Ceasefire, Warns on Kaliningrad — SkimNews
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- Putin ruled out a ceasefire on long-range strikes with Ukraine at the Valdai political forum in Moscow, dismissing a proposal to halt refinery strikes in exchange for stopping attacks on ships as "simply ridiculous."
- Putin warned that Russia would deploy nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave wedged between Poland and Lithuania, declaring that "all weapons at our country's disposal" would be on the agenda in any direct attack.
- Putin's nuclear warning followed a diplomatic note NATO said it received from Russia this week, threatening a nuclear response if the alliance attempted to cut off the Baltic exclave.
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy told reporters on September 22 in New York that Kyiv was ready to cease strikes on Russian oil refineries and energy facilities if Moscow reciprocated by stopping attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
- Putin acknowledged Ukraine had "partially achieved its objectives" with refinery strikes, which he said cost Russia 1 percent of GDP, but claimed Russia was now responding in kind against Ukrainian steel and rail supply chains.
- Russia escalated long-range strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure ahead of winter, with a Russian drone striking a school in Kyiv on Thursday — no casualties were reported as children and staff were in shelters.
Why it matters: Putin's simultaneous rejection of a strike ceasefire and nuclear warning over Kaliningrad leaves Zelenskyy's September 22 offer to halt refinery attacks without a Russian counterpart. Russia is also demanding Ukrainian neutrality while ramping up strikes on steel and rail infrastructure, keeping Kyiv on near-constant alert as it braces for another winter of attacks on its power grid.
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