United States President Donald Trump on Sunday announced an immediate ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure in the Russia-Ukraine war, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had not been informed of any agreement and asked when it would take effect.
Trump announced the proposed truce in a post on his Truth Social platform, stating that both countries had agreed to stop targeting energy facilities. However, neither Kyiv nor Moscow had immediately confirmed the agreement or indicated that it had taken effect.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote. “Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!”
Earlier on Sunday, Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to suspend attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Reacting to Trump's announcement, Zelensky told Axios that the declaration had come as a surprise to him but said Ukraine would accept the arrangement if Russia agreed to it.
“The ceasefire announcement was news for me. But if Russians agree to an energy ceasefire, Ukraine will agree,” Zelensky said.
He added that if Trump had negotiated the agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Washington should clarify when the ceasefire would begin, stressing that Ukraine was ready to accept it.
The announcement follows an intensification of attacks on energy facilities by both countries. Ukraine has targeted Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure, while Russia has continued strikes on power facilities and energy installations across Ukraine.
Energy infrastructure has been a recurring target since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Both sides have sought to weaken the other's capacity to support military operations and maintain civilian services by striking facilities critical to energy production and supply.
Trump's announcement also comes amid tensions between Washington and Kyiv over the conduct of the war. The US president had previously criticised Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries and suggested that Ukraine should consider new leadership capable of reaching a peace agreement with Moscow.
The proposed ceasefire also follows a diesel supply agreement between the United States and Russia, under which Moscow agreed to supply diesel to the US and international markets. The arrangement has attracted criticism from Kyiv, with Zelensky warning that additional Russian energy revenues could help fund Moscow's military campaign.
Despite Trump's declaration, key details of the proposed energy truce remain uncertain, including its scope, implementation, and start time. The absence of immediate confirmation from Russia and Ukraine has also left unclear whether both sides have formally accepted the arrangement and begun observing it.