US President Donald Trump has announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure, describing the arrangement as an “energy ceasefire.” However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed surprise at the announcement, saying it was new information to him.
Trump made the announcement in a brief statement on Sunday, claiming that both countries had agreed to halt strikes on energy facilities. Russia had not immediately commented on his claim as of the time of the report.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without providing further details about the agreement.
Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The strikes have disrupted electricity and heating supplies for millions of Ukrainians, particularly during freezing weather.
In response, Ukraine has systematically targeted Russian oil refineries, arguing that the facilities generate revenue that helps Moscow finance its war.
Despite Trump’s announcement, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, reported fresh power outages in Kyiv on Sunday amid continued attacks.
Earlier that day, Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine was prepared to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Moscow also ended its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Reacting to Trump’s announcement, Zelensky told Axios that the proposed ceasefire was “news for me,” raising questions about whether both sides had formally agreed to the arrangement.
The announcement comes as fuel prices in the United States have risen sharply since late February, when joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran prompted Tehran to block the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for oil exports from the Gulf.
Tensions Over Diesel Agreement
Trump’s announcement also comes amid growing tensions between the US president and Zelensky over an agreement involving Russia and the United States concerning diesel supplies.
Zelensky described the deal as a “weak decision,” while several European allies of Ukraine pledged to increase pressure on Moscow despite the agreement.
Under the arrangement, Russia would release large quantities of diesel onto the global market in exchange for temporary relief from sanctions.
Addressing criticism of the deal on Saturday, Trump blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for rising diesel prices. He also suggested that Ukraine needed a new leader, saying it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president”.
Zelensky rejected the suggestion during an interview with ABC News on Sunday, insisting that the choice of Ukraine’s leadership belonged to its citizens.
“First of all, with all respect to President Trump, it’s up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader,” Zelensky said.
Germany’s Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, also reaffirmed Berlin’s support for the Ukrainian president amid the disagreement.
Speaking in Berlin on Sunday, Wadephul said Germany continued to “fully support” Zelensky.
“Europe needs stability and that means that we are very clearly continuing to stay by the side of Ukraine and its government,” he added.
In Kyiv, some residents expressed concern over Trump’s call for Zelensky to be replaced.
Olesia Goncharuk, a 40-year-old resident of the Ukrainian capital, said she believed Zelensky was the right person to lead the country and suggested that Americans should focus on their own political leadership.
“I believe our president is the best, and Americans should think about their own president,” she said.
“We Ukrainians decide our own fate and our own freedom, and we are free people,” Goncharuk added.
The dispute between Trump and Zelensky comes weeks before closely contested US elections, with voter frustration over the rising cost of living emerging as a major campaign issue.
Source: AFP
