Trump announces energy ceasefire in Ukraine war, while Zelenskyy says it is ‘news to me’

Donald Trump announced an immediate halt to attacks on energy infrastructure in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The US president said the two sides had agreed to a ceasefire but gave no further details.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he learned about the arrangement from Trump’s announcement. He said Ukraine was ready to accept it if the deal had genuinely been made with Vladimir Putin and was implemented by both sides.

According to Zelenskyy, Russian drones continued flying throughout Sunday, and Russian forces carried out several strikes, including attacks on energy facilities. Thermal power station No 5 in Kharkiv was among the targets.

Kyiv demands reciprocal action

Zelenskyy said any end to Ukraine’s long-range strikes on targets inside Russia would have to be reciprocal and backed by real guarantees from allies, including punitive measures against Moscow. He had earlier rejected Trump’s demand that Kyiv stop attacking Russian oil refineries, saying Russia must first halt its strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy said Russia had carried out more than 200 strikes on Ukrainian power-generation and transmission facilities during the week. A further 17 attacks targeted gas and oil facilities.

Washington-Kyiv dispute escalates

The public dispute intensified after Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports. He said the move would reduce fuel prices in the US and globally before next month’s midterm elections. Zelenskyy called the decision weak and said it would give Putin additional income for the war.

Trump also urged Zelenskyy to leave office and said Ukraine needed a new leader. Zelenskyy responded that Ukrainians choose their leader and said he would accept elections only if Putin agreed to a total 60-day ceasefire.

The Financial Times, citing European officials, reported that the US could threaten to halt the weapons-procurement system supplying Ukraine in an effort to stop its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The New York Times reported that US officials had allegedly offered the Kremlin economic incentives, including the release of billions of dollars in frozen Russian sovereign assets.

Russian attacks, Zelenskyy said, have continued unabated. On Saturday, 23 people were killed in Zaporizhzhia, including four children, while a five-storey apartment building in the frontline town of Sloviansk was also hit.

After Trump’s announcement, Zelenskyy spoke with leaders from Canada, Poland, the European Commission, the UK, France and Finland. The British side expressed solidarity with Ukraine and called on Russia to accept an immediate energy ceasefire.