WASHINGTON, DC / EuroWire / – U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had reached an understanding to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure. He declared the “energy ceasefire” on Sunday, stating it would take effect immediately. No details were provided regarding the terms, timeline, monitoring mechanisms, or which facilities would be protected. By Monday morning, Moscow had not publicly acknowledged the deal. Ukraine expressed support for a reciprocal pause but was awaiting further clarification from the United States.
Trump made the announcement via a brief post on his Truth Social platform, asserting that both sides had agreed and calling for adherence to the agreement. The White House has yet to release any detailed framework explaining how the ceasefire would function. Similarly, the Kremlin has not issued any public statement confirming Russia’s participation. These omissions have left the status of the ceasefire uncertain, with public statements from Trump and Ukrainian officials serving as the main sources of information.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed support for the idea of an energy ceasefire but emphasized the need for it to be realized. He stated Ukraine was prepared to cease targeting Russian energy infrastructure if Russia demonstrated an equivalent willingness. Zelenskyy also mentioned that Kyiv was waiting for clear information about discussions between Washington and Moscow. Ukraine’s government maintained communication with U.S. officials, while Zelenskyy discussed the situation with several European and NATO partners.
Ukraine reports ongoing energy strikes following the announcement
Zelenskyy indicated that Russian forces continued air strikes on Sunday after Trump’s declaration. He reported an attack on the CHP-5 combined heat and power plant in Kharkiv. Ukrainian officials confirmed that the strike took place after Trump’s statement. Zelenskyy also highlighted that Russian drones and glide bombs remained active over Ukraine throughout the day. His office noted that Russian forces launched over 200 strikes on Ukrainian electricity generation and transmission facilities in the past week.
The Ukrainian president also reported that an additional 17 Russian strikes targeted gas and oil facilities during that period. Earlier on Sunday, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would cease attacking Russian refineries if Moscow halted its strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Trump had called on Kyiv to stop targeting Russian oil infrastructure prior to announcing the ceasefire. This latest move also followed a U.S.-Russia diesel supply agreement disclosed by Trump on Friday amid rising global fuel prices.
Moscow has yet to verify Trump’s energy ceasefire assertion
Trump had previously announced in September that Russia and Ukraine agreed not to attack each other’s energy infrastructure, but neither side officially confirmed that arrangement, and hostilities persisted. The current announcement again centers on energy infrastructure rather than a comprehensive ceasefire across the battlefield. Both Russia and Ukraine have continued drone and missile operations over long distances during the conflict. Attacks on energy facilities have remained common on both sides.
As of Monday, Moscow had not officially confirmed the latest energy ceasefire or clarified which facilities it would encompass. Ukraine expressed support for a mutual halt and indicated that its armed forces received instructions following Trump’s statement. Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv anticipated Russia to adhere to the arrangement described by the U.S. president. The public statements available so far have not established a joint monitoring or enforcement mechanism, nor have they specified the duration of the ceasefire.