KYIV(National Times)- US President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to what he described as an \u201cenergy ceasefire\u201d, hours after Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky had pushed back against US pressure for a unilateral end to strikes on Russian refineries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a social media post, Trump said the energy ceasefire would take effect immediately, but did not elaborate further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an interview with Axios, Zelensky said Trump\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky said that he and Kyiv\u2019s allies were \u201cawaiting details\u201d of a ceasefire on energy targets US President Donald Trump had announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky says awaiting details; Russia yet to comment<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump, whose war in Iran has been blamed for high diesel prices that are weighing on Republicans\u2019 prospects at next month\u2019s midterm elections, had previously announced an energy ceasefire in Ukraine in mid-September, though neither side ever confirmed such an agreement was reached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEffective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier on Sunday, Zelensky had repeated Ukraine\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Any such deal would need to come with \u201creal guarantees\u201d, Zelensky said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone,\u201d Zelensky said. \u201cIt\u2019s possible to stop strikes on energy infr\u00adastructure as early as today, but Putin does not want to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was no immediate comment from Russia on Trump\u2019s claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Energy truce hailed<\/p>\n\n\n\n
France backed the \u201creal energy ceasefire\u201d between Russia and Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrance will continue to stay by the side of Ukraine and President Zelensky.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen voiced backing for Ukraine\u2019s Zelensky amid his row with Trump, and backed Kyiv\u2019s calls for an energy ceasefire with Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFully supported the call of President Zelensky for a ceasefire that would protect global food supplies and energy infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia,\u201d von der Leyen wrote online after talking to Zelensky.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KYIV(National Times)- US President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to what he described as an \u201cenergy ceasefire\u201d, 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n