In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg on June 5, 2026. (Photo by Alexander KAZAKOV / POOL / AFP)
Russia on Thursday hit out at the United States saying Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy sites could help end the war between Moscow and Kyiv.
Ukraine has mounted a retaliatory strike campaign using long-range drones against Russian energy and military facilities, in what Kyiv calls fair retribution for Moscow’s drone and missile barrages on Ukrainian cities.
Asked about the strikes during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump appeared to endorse the campaign.
“It’s an escalation, but it’s also an escalation that can help lead to an end,” Trump said.
