US President Donald Trump’s proposed “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine could leave Kyiv at a disadvantage, as the country has only one oil refinery that is not fully operational, while Russia has an extensive refining network.
According to Axios, citing a White House official, the proposal would initially require both countries to stop attacking oil refineries. If the arrangement holds, a broader agreement to halt strikes on power plants and electricity grids could follow.
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However, Russia has not agreed to any ceasefire, and Ukraine wants a halt to attacks on its energy infrastructure. A Ukrainian official told Axios that Kyiv’s priority was protecting the electricity grid rather than accepting a deal focused on refineries.
“We import diesel and gas. What we need is for the Russians to stop attacking our electricity grid,” the official said.
The official described the proposal as “refinery for refinery,” arguing that it would be unequal given Ukraine’s limited refining capacity and Russia’s much larger network. Ukraine’s sole refinery has been repeatedly attacked by Russia and is not fully operational, according to the source.
Trump announces ceasefire without confirmed agreement
Trump announced an energy ceasefire on Truth Social on Sunday, saying both sides had agreed to stop attacks.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” he wrote.
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But the announcement did not reflect a confirmed agreement between Kyiv and Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the ceasefire declaration “was news for me,” while a White House official told Axios that Russia was still considering the proposal.
Hours after Trump’s announcement, Russia carried out strikes on Ukrainian power plants.
The US president has continued to press Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries, which his administration believes are contributing to higher US gasoline prices. White House officials also warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries were damaging Zelensky’s relationship with Trump.
“Trump is really mad. He feels Zelensky is taking the US for granted,” a White House official said.
US envoys put Moscow visit on hold
Amid uncertainty over the proposed ceasefire, US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have put their planned visit to Moscow on hold, at least until Washington receives clarity on whether Ukraine and European countries are prepared to support a unified proposal for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as per Axios.
The pause follows a meeting between US and Ukrainian negotiators in Miami on Friday. A Ukrainian official told Axios that Witkoff and Kushner warned that Trump could stop sharing US intelligence if Kyiv continued to disregard his requests.
A US official denied that the envoys had threatened to cut intelligence sharing, saying instead that they had emphasized Washington’s role as a strong partner providing weapons and intelligence.
The officials argued that Ukraine should avoid actions that harm American consumers.
Separately, the Financial Times (FT), citing European officials, reported on Sunday that the US had told European countries it could stop selling weapons to Ukraine through NATO if Kyiv continued striking Russian refineries.
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