Kremlin Says ‘Energy Ceasefire’ Contacts Continue, Seeks Long-Term Peace

The Kremlin's framing matters more than the mechanics: by insisting it wants "long-term peace" rather than a ceasefire, Moscow keeps the timeline open and avoids committing to any interim halt that could freeze the front line. That distinction directly answers Zelensky's election-for-ceasefire proposal without rejecting it outright, leaving the initiative on the Ukrainian side. Energy infrastructure remains the practical lever, since a pause there is easier to verify than a broader truce. Whether contacts produce anything public, and whether the 60-day concept survives translation into Russian terms, is the open question.