US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced what he described as an immediate “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, saying both sides had agreed to stop attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure.
However, the announcement was not immediately confirmed by either Moscow or Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the reported ceasefire was “news” to him, while indicating that Ukraine would be prepared to accept the arrangement if Russia also committed to stopping attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.
Trump announces immediate energy ceasefire
Trump announced the reported agreement in a post on Truth Social, saying the ceasefire was effective immediately.
He urged both Russia and Ukraine not to violate the arrangement, but did not provide details on the scope, duration or enforcement mechanism of the proposed truce.
The announcement came amid continuing attacks on energy infrastructure during the Russia-Ukraine war and growing concerns over energy supplies ahead of winter.
Zelensky says announcement was ‘news’ to him
Zelensky said Trump’s announcement had come as a surprise to Kyiv.
He has previously said Ukraine would be ready to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, stressing that any de-escalation would need to be reciprocal.
In comments reported by Axios and other media, Zelensky indicated that Kyiv was prepared to agree to an energy truce if Russia was willing to do the same.
A Ukrainian official separately told the Kyiv Independent that Kyiv had no information about the energy ceasefire announced by Trump and questioned whether Russia had been informed.
Russia yet to confirm agreement
Russia had not officially confirmed the reported ceasefire at the time of the announcement.
The lack of immediate confirmation from either side left uncertainty over whether an operational agreement had actually been reached and what targets or infrastructure would be covered.
Trump’s statement also did not spell out whether the reported arrangement covered oil refineries, power plants, electricity networks or other energy facilities.
Ceasefire follows dispute over Russian diesel deal
The announcement came a day after Trump criticised Zelensky over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries and suggested that Ukraine needed new leadership capable of reaching a peace deal with Moscow.
Trump’s comments followed a US-Russia agreement concerning Russian diesel exports to the US and global markets. Zelensky criticised the deal, arguing that increased Russian energy revenues could help finance Moscow’s war effort.
According to Axios, US officials said Trump’s decision on the diesel deal followed repeated US requests for Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries. Ukraine, meanwhile, had proposed a reciprocal arrangement in which it would halt such strikes if Russia stopped targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
What the reported energy truce could mean
An energy ceasefire could reduce attacks on critical infrastructure at a time when both countries are preparing for another winter of war.
However, the immediate challenge remains establishing whether Russia and Ukraine have accepted the same terms. Trump’s announcement did not provide a detailed framework, while Zelensky’s response suggested Kyiv viewed reciprocity as a key condition.
For now, the reported “energy ceasefire” remains dependent on confirmation from both Moscow and Kyiv and clarity on its terms and implementation.
