KATHMANDU: US President Donald Trump has announced an immediate energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming that both sides have agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv is still awaiting details of the proposed agreement from Washington.
Trump made the surprise announcement on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, following days of pressure on Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump wrote.
Moscow had not publicly confirmed the agreement at the time of the announcement.
Trump’s declaration came amid increasingly strained relations with Zelensky. On Saturday, the US president warned the Ukrainian leader to stop attacking Russian refineries and urged Ukraine to hold elections, arguing that Zelensky had missed several opportunities to reach a deal with Moscow.
Zelensky said Ukraine supports an energy ceasefire but stressed that Russia must also commit to ending attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
“We are awaiting details from the American side,” Zelensky said in a post on Telegram, adding that he had discussed the announcement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
In his nightly video address, Zelensky said Russian forces continued to attack energy infrastructure, including a combined heating and power plant in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. A Ukrainian official confirmed that the attack occurred after Trump announced the ceasefire.
Earlier, Zelensky had reiterated that Ukraine was prepared to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries only if Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended strikes on Ukrainian power infrastructure.
A person familiar with the situation said Washington had threatened to suspend intelligence sharing with Ukraine and halt weapons procurement through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) system as part of its efforts to persuade Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian energy facilities. The Financial Times had previously reported the US threats.
The person also said Zelensky was consulting European leaders on ways to ease tensions with Trump.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has also called for elections in Ukraine, where voting has been suspended since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Zelensky said the decision on Ukraine’s leadership belonged to the Ukrainian people but insisted that elections could not be held safely while the war continued.
He said he would organise elections if Putin agreed to a 60-day ceasefire.
“Please tell Putin, give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections,” Zelensky said.
Ukrainian law prohibits elections under martial law, citing wartime security concerns.
Zelensky also rejected Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine was responsible for rising energy prices, arguing that the war in the Middle East was a more significant factor.
The energy ceasefire announcement follows Trump’s disclosure of a diesel supply deal involving Russia, which has drawn criticism from Ukrainian officials and some US lawmakers.
According to terms described by Trump on Friday, Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel to US and global markets, equivalent to approximately 2.25 million barrels of fuel.
The deal has sparked concerns over its legality and potential implications for Ukraine. US Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, said the arrangement could be illegal and put American lives at risk.
Zelensky had also criticised the proposed deal, warning that it could embolden Moscow’s attacks and lead to further loss of life.
The rise in global diesel prices following the outbreak of the Iran war in February has become a political challenge for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the US midterm elections next month. Democrats could gain control of one or both chambers of Congress in the elections.
Despite Trump’s ceasefire announcement, Ukrainian officials reported further Russian attacks on Sunday.
Three people were killed outside a grocery store in Kharkiv, while another three died in the western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk, according to Ukrainian officials.
Moldova, which shares a western border with Ukraine, also reported an incursion by suspected Russian drones. Officials said the drones landed approximately 35 kilometres from the capital, Chisinau.
Meanwhile, some residents of Kyiv expressed anger at Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine should elect a leader willing to negotiate with Putin.
“No one has the right to tell us what to do, especially since elections cannot be held during wartime,” said Sabina, a 40-year-old primary school teacher, describing Trump’s remarks as a betrayal by Ukraine’s partners.
The ceasefire announcement now faces uncertainty as Ukraine awaits further details and Moscow has yet to publicly confirm its participation.
FACEBOOK COMMENTS