President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an immediate ceasefire covering attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote in an Oct. 11 Truth Social post.
“Both parties have agreed. Do not break it! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Trump did not provide further details about the agreement, including how long the ceasefire would last or how it would be enforced.
The announcement appeared to catch Ukrainian officials by surprise.
“The cease-fire announcement was news for me,” Zelensky told Axios following Trump’s statement.
Zelensky said Ukraine was willing to accept the arrangement if Russia agreed to stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities.
“But if Russians agree to an energy cease-fire Ukraine will agree. If President Trump negotiated it with Putin — please tell us when the cease-fire begins — we are ready and we will accept it,” he said.
In a separate statement, Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to stop targeting Russian energy infrastructure but expected Moscow to do the same.
“We are awaiting clear details of the dialogue between America and Russia,” he said, adding that he expected Russian President Vladimir Putin to honor Trump’s announcement.
According to The Daily Caller, Zelensky also discussed the proposed ceasefire with the leaders of Canada and Finland, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The announcement follows weeks of attacks on energy infrastructure in both countries.
Ukraine has expanded its long-range drone strikes against Russian oil refineries, while Russian forces have continued targeting Ukraine’s electricity and fuel facilities.
Zelensky said Russian forces had carried out more than 200 strikes on Ukrainian electricity generation and transmission sites over the previous week. He also reported 17 attacks on the country’s gas and oil facilities.
The ceasefire announcement came just two days after Trump announced a separate agreement with Putin to increase Russian diesel supplies to global markets.
Under the Oct. 9 arrangement, Russia agreed to immediately export more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons in December.
Trump said additional shipments could follow depending on the condition of Russia’s refineries.
The agreement drew criticism from Zelensky, who argued that easing pressure on Russia without a lasting reduction in hostilities would undermine efforts to end the war.
Trump responded Saturday by criticizing Zelensky’s leadership and suggesting Ukraine needed a new president.
The administration has also expressed concerns about rising diesel prices in the United States.
Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries have disrupted global diesel supplies, contributing to higher fuel costs. Average US diesel prices have exceeded $6 per gallon.
This is not the first time Trump has announced an agreement to halt attacks on energy facilities.
On Sept. 4, he said both countries had agreed to stop striking each other’s energy infrastructure. However, attacks continued afterward, raising questions about whether the latest arrangement will hold.