KYIV(National Times)- US President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to what he described as an “energy ceasefire”, hours after Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky had pushed back against US pressure for a unilateral end to strikes on Russian refineries.
In a social media post, Trump said the energy ceasefire would take effect immediately, but did not elaborate further.
In an interview with Axios, Zelensky said Trump’s post was the first he had heard of the deal, though a senior Ukrainian official told Reuters that Ukraine was ready to agree to such a ceasefire, if Russia was.
Zelensky said that he and Kyiv’s allies were “awaiting details” of a ceasefire on energy targets US President Donald Trump had announced.
Zelensky says awaiting details; Russia yet to comment
Trump, whose war in Iran has been blamed for high diesel prices that are weighing on Republicans’ prospects at next month’s midterm elections, had previously announced an energy ceasefire in Ukraine in mid-September, though neither side ever confirmed such an agreement was reached.
“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 Truth Social.
Earlier on Sunday, Zelensky had repeated Ukraine’s long-standing position that it was willing to halt attacks on Russian refineries but only if Moscow ceased its own strikes on Ukrainian power infrastructure.
Any such deal would need to come with “real guarantees”, Zelensky said.
“The real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone,” Zelensky said. “It’s possible to stop strikes on energy infrastructure as early as today, but Putin does not want to do so.”
There was no immediate comment from Russia on Trump’s claim.
Energy truce hailed
France backed the “real energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.
“France will continue to stay by the side of Ukraine and President Zelensky.“
Also, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen voiced backing for Ukraine’s Zelensky amid his row with Trump, and backed Kyiv’s calls for an energy ceasefire with Russia.
“Fully supported the call of President Zelensky for a ceasefire that would protect global food supplies and energy infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia,” von der Leyen wrote online after talking to Zelensky.
