United States President Donald Trump has declared that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop striking each other’s energy infrastructure with immediate effect, although neither Moscow nor Kyiv has confirmed that any such agreement exists.
Writing on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Mr Trump said an “ENERGY CEASEFIRE” was now in force between the two warring countries, insisting that both sides had agreed to the arrangement and warning them not to break it. The White House did not publish any details on the scope, duration or enforcement of the supposed truce, according to reports.
Kyiv caught off guard
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appeared blindsided by the declaration. He told reporters it was news to him as well, adding that Kyiv would honour a ceasefire on energy targets if Russia did the same — but that Ukraine was still waiting for Washington to explain when the arrangement was meant to begin and what it covered.
The Kremlin offered no immediate comment on Mr Trump’s claim, according to reports. Within hours of the post, Ukrainian officials said Russian forces had struck the CHP-5 thermal power plant in Kharkiv at least twice, starting a fire, and had hit another energy facility near Kyiv — casting instant doubt over whether any halt in attacks was actually holding.
A familiar pattern
It is the second time Mr Trump has announced an energy ceasefire in the war; a similar declaration in mid-September was confirmed by neither belligerent and faded without visible effect. The latest announcement follows days of friction between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, which Mr Trump has blamed for pushing up diesel prices ahead of next month’s United States midterm elections.
Before the announcement, Mr Zelenskyy had used an interview on American television to offer presidential elections — suspended under martial law since the 2022 invasion — if Russia agreed to a comprehensive 60-day ceasefire. For now, the question hanging over the energy truce is the same one that sank its predecessor: whether both capitals acknowledge the same terms at all. A reported account of the announcement and its aftermath underlines how little is settled.
