Trump announces ‘energy ceasefire’ between Russia, Ukraine
US president says both sides agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, Zelenskyy says announcement 'news’ to him while expressing readiness
WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) – President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate ceasefire on attacks against each other’s energy infrastructure.
“Effective immediately, there is an energy ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” he added.
Despite Trump presenting it as a done deal, a White House official told the Axios news site that his declaration referred to a potential arrangement that includes both nations halting strikes against oil refineries. Halting refinery strikes could precede a wider agreement to protect power plants and electricity networks, said the official.
A Ukrainian official highlighted the stark imbalance in Trump’s initial proposal, noting that Ukraine relies on imported diesel and gasoline and urgently needs protection for its power grid while having only one refinery—which is not fully operational—to offer as a target for a reciprocal halt in strikes.
Reacting to the announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Axios: “The ceasefire announcement was news for me. But if the Russians agree to an energy ceasefire, Ukraine will agree. If President Trump negotiated it with Putin — please tell us when the ceasefire begins — we are ready and we will accept it.”
Zelenskyy later confirmed discussing the initiative with Western partners, writing on the US social media platform X that he spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
He stressed that Ukraine supports the ceasefire and “it is important that Russia support it as well.”
He added that Kyiv is “awaiting details from the American side,” emphasizing that Ukraine “always fully supports steps toward de-escalation, the protection of lives and the decisions needed to end the war and guarantee lasting peace.”
“We are awaiting clear details of the dialogue between America and Russia, and we expect Putin to fulfill what President Trump has said,” Zelenskyy said, confirming that the Ukrainian military has received “all the relevant orders.”
Meanwhile, he said, a power plant in Kharkiv was attacked this evening after Trump’s announcement.
There was no immediate confirmation from Moscow that the agreement has taken effect.
“The Russians are thinking about it,” the White House official said. “We will know soon if they are ready.”
US pressure on weapons procurement
The diplomatic moves unfolded as the Financial Times reported that the Trump administration threatened to suspend the procurement architecture supplying Ukraine with defense hardware to halt its strikes on Russian energy targets.
Citing European officials familiar with the weekend discussions, the British newspaper said American officials lobbied European capitals and Kyiv to curb attacks against Russian refineries, warning that the US will cut off intelligence sharing and the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) weapons procurement mechanism. The White House declined to comment.
According to Axios, a White House official warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries are straining Zelenskyy’s relationship with Trump, with one official noting that the US president is “really mad” about the attacks.
US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner postponed their scheduled trip to Moscow until European countries and Ukraine establish a consensus on a joint proposal for Russia, Axios reported.
Trump made a similar claim in September, suggesting that both countries had agreed not to target each other’s energy facilities, but that initiative had not yielded results.
Earlier Sunday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was prepared to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, stressing that any de-escalation must be reciprocal and backed by guarantees.
Trump has attributed surging consumer energy costs to the war in Ukraine rather than the ongoing Iran war as persistent inflation at the pump creates acute political pressure for the administration ahead of US midterm elections in November.
The US national average price for regular gasoline stands at $4.36 per gallon, up from $4.30 a month ago and $3.09 a year earlier, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA).
The announcement followed a diesel supply agreement that Trump unveiled Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin under which Moscow agreed to provide fuel to the US and global markets. Zelenskyy criticized the deal as a “gift” to Putin, warning that the easing of restrictions on Russian diesel exports could help finance Moscow’s war effort.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
