US President Donald Trump has claimed that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an “energy ceasefire”, with Kyiv expressing willingness to support the move if Moscow does the same, while Russia has yet to comment on the announcement.
Trump said the ceasefire was “effective immediately” but provided no further details about the agreement, reports BBC.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially expressed surprise at the announcement before saying Ukraine would support the proposal if Russia agreed. However, he accused Moscow of attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure after Trump made the announcement.
Trump has been pressing Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, which Kyiv considers essential to reducing Moscow’s revenue for financing its war effort. The US president’s push comes as Russia has agreed to release diesel for the US and the global market under a recently reached deal.
The agreement, which temporarily lifts sanctions on Russian imports, has drawn mounting criticism. Zelensky described it as a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin, while European officials and some US politicians, including members of Trump’s Republican Party, have opposed the move.
The deal marks Trump’s latest attempt to bring down domestic fuel prices ahead of the US midterm elections. He has spent months dealing with the political fallout from the war with Iran, which has driven up global fuel prices, particularly diesel.
Higher fuel prices and their wider impact on inflation have hurt Trump’s standing among American voters, who have faced rising costs at petrol stations and across the economy.
Speaking to news website Axios, Zelensky said the announcement of an energy truce was “news” to him. He later wrote on social media that Ukrainian officials “look forward to clear details of America’s dialogue with Russia”.
“Ukraine is ready not to strike at Russian energy and we count on Russia’s similar readiness and on the agreement of the president of the United States of America on this,” he said.
The BBC has contacted the White House for further details.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain “strongly supports President Trump’s call today for a sustained energy ceasefire to start now”. France, Canada and the European Union also voiced support for the proposal.
However, Zelensky later reported that a Russian drone had struck a power plant in Kyiv, triggering power cuts. He also reported subsequent attacks on energy facilities in the north-eastern Kharkiv region.
“ All of this happened after the president of the United States made his statement about an energy ceasefire,” he said.
Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly targeted each other’s energy infrastructure for months. Moscow has defended its attacks by arguing that the facilities support Ukraine’s military operations, making them legitimate targets.
Zelensky, meanwhile, has described Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory as an effort to “reduce Russia’s ability to finance the war”.
The attacks have disrupted energy supplies in both countries.
Earlier on Sunday, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC that Britain did not support the diesel deal. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also echoed Zelensky’s criticism on Saturday.
Politicians from both major US parties have criticised the agreement.
Seven US senators, including three Democrats and four Republicans, issued a joint statement arguing that Trump’s deal “runs directly counter” to a law that explicitly prohibited Russian energy imports.
“Congress was clear: the US should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our Nato Allies,” they said, urging the Trump administration to “reverse course”.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis, one of the seven signatories, told NBC News that the deal “absolutely will” put American lives at risk.
On Saturday, Trump accused Zelensky of wanting to “make problems for the world” by continuing to authorise attacks on Russian oil refineries after the Ukrainian president criticised the diesel agreement.
Trump also suggested that it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president”.
Zelensky has pledged to hold elections, despite Ukraine’s constitution suspending them during wartime, if Russia agrees to a 60-day comprehensive ceasefire.
The Ukrainian president had previously resisted US calls for fresh elections, citing the difficulties of conducting a vote in areas where fighting continues or that remain under Russian occupation.
Trump, however, has repeatedly accused Zelensky of using the war to remain in power.
Meanwhile, fighting and attacks continue across the two countries as the war enters its fifth year.
Regional officials said six people were killed in attacks on two Ukrainian cities on Sunday.
In Russia, officials reported one death in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, while another man was killed in a drone attack in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region.
