Donald Trump has asserted that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an immediate “energy ceasefire,” a claim welcomed by Kyiv but met with silence from Moscow. While the US president insisted the deal was in effect without providing specifics, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated his country was ready to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, provided Russia showed similar restraint.
Zelensky initially expressed surprise at the announcement but quickly pivoted to condition his support on Russian cooperation. However, he later accused Moscow of violating the spirit of the proposed truce, reporting that Russian drones had struck a power plant in Kyiv and energy facilities in the Kharkiv region shortly after Trump’s statement, resulting in widespread power cuts.
The claim comes amid growing controversy over a separate agreement Trump facilitated to allow the release of Russian diesel to the US and global markets, a move that temporarily lifts certain sanctions. Zelensky has criticized this arrangement as a gift to Vladimir Putin, echoing concerns from European leaders and some US politicians, including members of Trump’s own Republican party. Seven senators from both parties have called for the deal to be reversed, arguing it contradicts existing laws banning Russian energy imports.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and leaders from France, Canada, and the European Union have publicly supported Trump’s call for a sustained energy truce. In contrast, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting previously indicated that Britain did not back the diesel deal, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has shared Zelensky’s criticisms.
The exchange of strikes on energy infrastructure has been a defining feature of the four-year war, with Moscow justifying attacks on Ukrainian grids as targeting military support, while Kyiv argues its deep-strike operations aim to cripple Russia’s war funding. Despite diplomatic maneuvers, violence persists on the ground; regional officials reported that six people were killed across Ukraine and Russia on Sunday, including fatalities in the Belgorod region and Russian-occupied Donetsk.
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