President Donald Trump claimed Sunday that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to an “energy ceasefire” as part of the ongoing conflict. There was no confirmation from Moscow, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he heard the news through the media.
Ukrainian officials said Russia continued to attack its energy facilities. Trump made a similar announcement a month ago, only for the two sides to also continue their aerial attacks then.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday morning. “Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” He did not elaborate further on what the ceasefire might include.
Zelenskyy said Monday that Ukraine “didn’t know about it. We learned from the media.”
He told the Warsaw Security Forum that “we do support it, but I have not heard approval of this proposal from the Russian side, and this looks strange.”
Ukrainian officials said Russia carried out further strikes in the hours after Trump’s announcement and on Monday morning, including against an energy facility on the outskirts of Kharkiv.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire that “contacts are ongoing. When we have anything to say on this topic, we’ll be sure to keep you informed.”
It follows a dramatic few days in which Trump agreed to a diesel deal with the Kremlin, demanded Kyiv halt attacks on Russian oil refineries and called for Zelenskyy to be replaced. The shift left Kyiv and its European allies reeling.
The U.S. agreed Friday to lift sanctions on Russian fuel in a deal that Trump said would see Russia “immediately” release 300,000 tons of diesel “to the American and global marketplace,” followed by 500,000 tons in November and another million after that.
After strong criticism from Zelenskyy, Trump said Saturday: “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal, because he could have made many deals.”
Trump has sought to blame the Ukraine conflict, rather than his own assault on Iran, for a global fuel shortage that has driven diesel prices to record highs since the U.S. launched the Middle East war in February.
Zelenskyy reiterated Sunday that he was ready to halt strikes on Russian refineries if the Kremlin halts its own attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“We are ready for energy ceasefire, not to attack energy — both sides,” he said in an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.” He added that if Russia wants an energy ceasefire, “we are open for this.”
“Don’t attack us,” he said. “Don’t kill our children. We will stop attack your diesel.”
He also told ABC News he would hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire.
Zelenskyy said “it’s up to Ukrainians” to choose their leader and noted that Putin would also like to change who is leading Ukraine.
He said it is easy for Ukraine to be blamed for higher fuel prices “when everybody in the world understands [that] because of the war in [the] Middle East, the prices are rising.”
Zelenskyy was also asked on ABC News why Trump and Elon Musk blamed him for the war’s continuation.
“Because these people can’t find a key how to stop Putin, because it’s more difficult to stop Putin than to pressure others, because it’s more simple to speak about the prices and connect it with Ukraine,” he responded, pointing to how the war in Iran was leading to higher fuel prices.
