President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate ceasefire targeting energy infrastructure, sending oil prices lower even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was awaiting details from Washington and Russian attacks continued.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The announcement appeared to catch Zelenskiy by surprise, and Moscow offered no immediate confirmation. Trump provided no details about the agreement or how it would be enforced.
“Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well. We are awaiting details from the American side,” Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram after speaking with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Oil prices fell following Trump’s announcement as traders weighed the prospect of increased Russian supplies reaching global markets. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 1.7% to $90.31 a barrel, while Brent crude declined 1.5% to $103.18, according to Reuters.
The announcement followed growing pressure from Washington for Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries. Trump has blamed the strikes for rising diesel prices ahead of November’s midterm elections.
A person familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the administration had threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and halt weapons purchases through NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List program unless Ukraine ended the attacks. The White House did not immediately comment.
Despite Trump’s declaration, Russian forces continued attacking Ukrainian energy facilities Sunday, including a combined heat and power plant in Kharkiv. A Ukrainian official confirmed the strike occurred after Trump’s announcement. Trump made a similar ceasefire claim in September that neither side confirmed.
The announcement came a day after Trump warned Zelenskiy he had “better damn well stop” targeting Russian refineries and suggested Ukraine elect a new president willing to negotiate peace with Moscow.
Zelenskiy responded that choosing Ukraine’s leader was “up to Ukrainians” and that elections, prohibited under martial law since Russia’s 2022 invasion, could only follow a broader ceasefire.
“Please tell Putin, give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections,” Zelenskiy said.
Trump also announced Friday an arrangement for Russia to supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel, roughly 2.25 million barrels, to American and global markets, with additional deliveries planned. The agreement drew bipartisan criticism from lawmakers, including Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who questioned its legality and warned it could endanger American lives.
Trump has blamed Ukrainian refinery strikes for rising fuel costs, while Zelenskiy has argued that “everybody in the world” recognizes the war in the Middle East as the larger factor.
Some Ukrainians also rejected Trump’s suggestion that their country replace its president.
“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 in Kyiv. “In my view, it is a betrayal by our partners,” she added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported Russian attacks Sunday killed three people outside a grocery store in Kharkiv and another three in the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk. Neighboring Moldova also reported Russian drones entering its airspace, with one landing about 22 miles from the capital, Chisinau.
