Trump Announces Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire, Zelenskyy Says He Was Unaware
US President Donald Trump has announced an immediate ceasefire covering energy infrastructure attacks in the Russia-Ukraine war, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he was unaware of the agreement.
Trump announced the development on Sunday through his Truth Social platform, claiming that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacks on energy facilities.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump wrote.
However, the US president offered no details about the agreement, including when negotiations occurred or how compliance would be monitored.
Zelenskyy told Axios that the announcement was “news to me” but said Ukraine was prepared to accept the ceasefire if Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the same conditions.
The Ukrainian president asked Trump to clarify when the arrangement would begin, stressing that Kyiv was ready to cooperate if Moscow observed the restrictions.
The announcement followed rising tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and Russia’s continued strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Trump had demanded on Saturday that Ukraine stop bombing Russian refineries, while Zelenskyy insisted that Moscow must first halt its attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.
Zelenskyy maintained that any agreement restricting long-range strikes must apply equally to both countries and include credible guarantees from Ukraine’s international partners.
He argued that Russia should face concrete consequences if it violated the arrangement, with the United States and other allies helping enforce compliance.
Despite Trump’s announcement, Zelenskyy reported that Russian drones remained active on Sunday, alongside additional airstrikes targeting locations across Ukraine.
He specifically identified Thermal Power Station No. 5 in Kharkiv as a target, raising further concerns about the proposed ceasefire’s immediate effectiveness.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces had carried out more than 200 strikes against Ukrainian electricity generation and transmission facilities during the week, alongside 17 additional attacks on oil and gas infrastructure.
The continued attacks raised questions about whether Trump’s declaration represented a mutually accepted agreement or an arrangement still awaiting confirmation from both governments.
The disagreement deepened after Trump announced on Friday that he was lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports, arguing that the move would help reduce fuel prices.
Trump said the decision would ease domestic and international fuel costs ahead of the US midterm elections scheduled for November.
Zelenskyy criticised the move, warning that increased revenue from Russian energy exports would strengthen Moscow’s ability to finance its military campaign.
Trump subsequently demanded that Zelenskyy stop attacking Russian refineries and suggested Ukraine needed new leadership, intensifying their public disagreement.
Zelenskyy responded that Ukrainians would decide their country’s leadership and said he was willing to organise elections if Putin agreed to a comprehensive 60-day ceasefire.
The confrontation has renewed concerns about relations between Washington and Kyiv, following last year’s heated Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy.
The Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing European officials, that Washington had threatened to suspend a weapons procurement arrangement supporting Ukraine to pressure Kyiv over its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
Separately, The New York Times reported that US officials had discussed economic incentives with Moscow as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire.
The reported proposals included releasing billions of dollars in frozen Russian sovereign assets and revisiting a potential deal involving parts of Russian energy company Lukoil.
Ukraine has recently intensified attacks against Russian oil facilities, warehouses and data centres, targeting infrastructure that supports Moscow’s economy and military operations.
Meanwhile, Russian strikes have continued to cause civilian casualties. According to the report, attacks on Saturday killed 23 people in Zaporizhzhia, including four children.
Another strike damaged a five-storey apartment building in the frontline town of Sloviansk, while Zelenskyy accused Moscow of continuing its aerial campaign without interruption.
The Ukrainian president said Russian forces were using thousands of aerial bombs and jet-powered drones in attacks across the country.
With Russia’s response to Trump’s announcement still unclear, questions remain over whether both countries will suspend attacks on energy infrastructure and what consequences would follow any violation.
Kyiv says it is ready to accept the proposed ceasefire if Moscow observes the same restrictions, but whether the announcement will lead to an actual halt in attacks remains uncertain.
