Did Russia and Ukraine agree to an “energy truce”? Trump raises doubts

- US President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with Russia and Ukraine, one day after he announced what he called an “energy truce,” a move that seemed to surprise both countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Kiev supports the sudden announcement of the truce, but was not informed of it in advance, while Moscow declined to say whether it supports the proposal or not.

Trump had written on social media on Sunday morning: “With immediate effect, there is an energy truce in the war between Russia and Ukraine.” But on Monday evening, Trump seemed to indicate that neither side had agreed to the truce before he announced it.

“Well, they agreed,” he told reporters as he left the White House to attend a rally in Youngstown, Ohio. Trump later added that he believed “both sides support” the truce, and that they “want to make a deal, but they don’t know how.”

He also expressed his belief that Putin was ready to conclude an agreement to end the war, but expressed doubts about Zelensky's willingness to do so. For his part, Zelensky said on Monday that Russia had already violated the sudden energy truce proposal.

Zelensky explained that shortly after Trump's announcement, Russia "launched a strike targeting a power plant in Kharkiv, causing further damage to our energy system." The Ukrainian president also referred to Russian drone attacks targeting civilian infrastructure on Monday, including an attack on a high-rise residential building in Kiev.

Despite the new attacks, the Ukrainian leader pledged to adhere to the new agreement, provided that Russia also adheres to it. Zelensky said in a post on social media on Tuesday: “Ukraine did not launch any strikes on Russian oil refineries or on the energy sector in general during the two days that followed the US President’s announcement of the energy truce.

But Russia did not respond to the US President’s call.” Zelensky added: “During this period, the Russians attacked our energy facilities and critical infrastructure, in a completely clear signal that they do not intend to stop launching attacks on Ukraine.”

He continued: "Our position remains firm: Ukraine is ready to take reciprocal steps towards reducing the escalation." Ofok News Network contacted the White House to obtain information on how the agreement was reached and possible next steps.

In response to a question about Trump and Zelensky’s statements on Monday, the Kremlin said that “contacts are ongoing,” without providing further details. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “I have nothing to add on this topic.”

After Trump's announcement on Sunday, Zelensky wrote on the "X" platform, previously Twitter, that he discussed this news with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia supports it as well,” Zelensky wrote on Sunday.

We are awaiting details from the American side. For our part, Ukraine always and fully supports the steps aimed at reducing escalation, protecting lives, and the necessary decisions to end the war and ensure lasting peace.”

Widespread criticism of Trump's agreement on Russian diesel. This announcement comes days after a conversation Trump held with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two sides announced a controversial agreement to supply markets with Russian diesel fuel. The agreement sparked criticism from both the Republican and Democratic parties, as lawmakers warned that the US administration was defying a federal law aimed at imposing strict restrictions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Seven senators, including four Republicans, issued a statement over the weekend, calling on the administration to "reverse course" and abandon its plan to supply markets with Russian diesel. “Congress has explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent US dollars from financing Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine,” the statement read.

He added: "Congress's position was clear: The United States should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and stops threatening our NATO allies." The statement continued: “President Trump’s decision to allow the import of Russian diesel into the United States is in direct contravention of that law.”

In conjunction with the announcement of the diesel agreement on Friday, talks were launched in Miami with the participation of senior Ukrainian and American officials, including Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff. However, Zelensky criticized the announcement of the agreement, considering that this step would prolong the war.

In response, Trump suggested that Ukraine choose “a new leader who can make a deal.” He also defended his decision in a post on the Truth Social platform on Monday, noting that “the European Union paid Russia $250 billion for energy.”

This appears to refer to estimates issued by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which stated that the European Union has spent 238 billion euros on Russian fossil fuels since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The European Union is working to phase out Russian energy imports under an agreement signed last year.

When Zelensky was asked on Monday about Trump's proposal for a "new leader," he ruled out holding new elections in Ukraine as long as the war continues, saying: "From a security standpoint, this is completely impossible; we are under attacks day and night." Zelensky added that he would be "ready to work on holding elections" if a complete ceasefire is reached for 60 days or more.

Following Zelensky's statements regarding a 60-day ceasefire to hold elections, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a video speech: "I do not think he deserves a truce like this, and I do not think that we will be deceived again by guarantees and promises." The Kremlin stated that Putin would be ready to stop strikes against Ukraine on “election day itself,” if Kiev “really intends to hold elections.”

It was not immediately clear what led to the announcement of the truce on Sunday, as Zelensky had also called for a ceasefire in an interview conducted earlier the same day. Zelensky said in an interview with ABC News, speaking about Russia: “Well, if they want a ceasefire in the energy sector, we are open to that.

It is noteworthy that energy infrastructure has been one of the main targets of Russian attacks since the first months of the comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Later, Ukraine began targeting Russian oil refining facilities using home-made drones to launch strikes deep into Russian territory.

The two sides have escalated the air war in recent months, with the front lines remaining largely stable. Trump had expressed his dissatisfaction with the Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities, but a number of these attacks actually occurred during the past week, as Kiev considers these facilities an essential part of the Kremlin's war machine.

A source close to Zelensky told Ofoq News Network that Ukraine is not currently targeting Russian oil refineries, awaiting further clarity regarding the ceasefire from the American side.