Trump announces Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire, Zelenskyy seeks details

United States President Donald Trump has announced an immediate energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kyiv is still awaiting details of the proposed arrangement.

Trump announced the agreement on Sunday through a post on his Truth Social platform, declaring that the ceasefire was effective immediately and urging both sides not to violate it.

However, he did not provide details of its terms, and Russia had not publicly confirmed the arrangement at the time of reporting.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine supported the proposed ceasefire but stressed that Russia must also agree to stop attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

“We are awaiting details from the American side,” Zelenskyy said in a statement published on social media.

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The Ukrainian president’s response came as Russian attacks on energy facilities continued. Zelenskyy said Russian forces had struck a combined heating and power plant in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, after Trump’s announcement.

The development raises questions about how the proposed ceasefire would be implemented and whether both countries would commit to halting attacks on energy infrastructure.

The announcement followed days of pressure from Washington on Kyiv to stop strikes against Russian oil refineries. Trump has linked the attacks to rising diesel prices, which have become a domestic political concern ahead of US midterm elections in November.

Ukraine has maintained that it would be prepared to halt attacks on Russian energy facilities if Moscow also stopped targeting Ukrainian power infrastructure.

The dispute has added to tensions between Washington and Kyiv over the handling of the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trump has criticised Zelenskyy over the lack of a peace settlement and called for elections in Ukraine, where national elections have been suspended under martial law during the war.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainians should choose their own leader but indicated that an election could be organised if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. Ukrainian law prohibits elections under martial law.

The energy ceasefire announcement also comes amid wider diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. US, Ukrainian and European representatives have been discussing a coordinated peace proposal intended to advance negotiations with Moscow.

Energy infrastructure has remained a major target throughout the war, with attacks affecting electricity generation, heating supplies, fuel production and distribution.

A sustained halt to such strikes could reduce pressure on civilian services and energy markets. However, without publicly confirmed terms and commitments from both sides, the announcement does not yet establish that attacks have stopped.

The next steps will depend on clarification from Washington and whether Moscow formally accepts and observes the proposed arrangement.

(APNews)