Kremlin Seeks Swift Resolution to Ukraine Conflict

Russia says it wants to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, but blames Kyiv for blocking peace efforts. This comes as both sides continue targeting each other's energy infrastructure in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls some of the most intense attacks on power systems since the war began.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to comments from US President Donald Trump, who said last Friday that "we agree the war will end in the not-too-distant future" during a meeting with Hungary's prime minister. But Peskov made clear Russia's position hasn't changed - the war ends only when Russia achieves its original goals, preferably through political and diplomatic means.

"But things are currently stuck, and the situation is at a standstill, and this is not because of us," Peskov said, pointing the finger at Ukraine. Ukrainian officials and their European allies reject Moscow's claims that they're the ones blocking peace efforts.

Peskov argued that Europeans still believe Ukraine can win militarily and secure its interests through force. "This is the biggest illusion that Kyiv's regime has fallen into. The situation on the front shows the opposite," he said.

On the battlefield, Russia announced it captured three more villages in eastern Ukraine - Solodki and Novhe in Zaporizhzhia region, plus Gnativka in Donetsk. These small territorial gains reflect the slow, grinding nature of the current fighting.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian repair crews are working around the clock to fix damage from what Zelensky described as some of Russia's most severe attacks on energy infrastructure yet. Moscow launched hundreds of drones against power facilities across Ukraine last Saturday, part of an intensified campaign against civilian infrastructure in recent months.

"Repair teams are working almost continuously in most regions," Zelensky said in his evening address. The situation is particularly difficult in northeastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions, as well as central Poltava region. About 100,000 people in Kharkiv region alone lost electricity, water, and heating, according to Reconstruction Minister Oleksiy Kuleba.

Ukraine's Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nikrasov said Russia has changed tactics, now launching coordinated attacks on power generation plants and their transmission and distribution systems simultaneously. "This complicates the process of restoring normal electricity supply and normal operation of the energy system," he explained.

Russia's Defense Ministry said it targeted facilities belonging to Ukraine's military-industrial complex and gas and energy infrastructure supporting military operations. Ukraine fires back with its own strikes on Russian energy and oil facilities.

Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure left more than 20,000 people without power in border regions, local authorities reported. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Belgorod region, said electricity and heating networks suffered serious damage in the regional capital after a barrage of Ukrainian strikes.

This escalating battle over energy infrastructure shows how both sides are trying to wear down each other's ability to sustain the war effort. But it also means ordinary civilians on both sides are paying the price with power outages and damaged heating systems as winter continues.