President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an immediate ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure, potentially marking a significant development in U.S.-led efforts to reduce hostilities in the nearly five-year war.
Trump revealed the agreement in a brief statement on Truth Social, saying both Moscow and Kyiv had accepted the arrangement.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote. “Both parties have agreed. Do not break it! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
The president did not initially provide additional details about the agreement, including how long the ceasefire would remain in effect, precisely which facilities would be protected or what consequences either country could face for violating it.
If implemented as described, however, the arrangement could halt one of the most consequential aspects of the conflict: repeated attacks against oil refineries, power stations, electrical grids and other energy infrastructure.
The announcement comes just days after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly clashed over energy policy. Trump announced Friday that the United States had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin intended to increase supplies of Russian diesel to international markets.
The administration said the move was intended to alleviate a global diesel shortage and reduce prices facing American consumers, farmers and businesses. Zelenskyy sharply criticized the decision, arguing that allowing additional Russian petroleum exports would generate revenue Moscow could use to finance its military operations in Ukraine.
Trump responded Saturday by escalating his criticism of the Ukrainian president. He suggested Ukraine should replace Zelenskyy with a leader willing to reach a peace agreement and accused Kyiv of repeatedly rejecting opportunities to end the war. Trump also demanded that Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil refineries, arguing that the strikes were contributing to higher international fuel prices. “He better damn well stop,” Trump said while discussing the attacks.
Ukraine has maintained that Russian petroleum facilities are legitimate military targets because oil and gas revenue helps finance Moscow’s military and because refineries provide fuel used by Russian forces.
The newly announced energy ceasefire could temporarily resolve that disagreement if both countries adhere to its terms. Energy infrastructure has been a major battlefield throughout the conflict. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s electricity system with missiles and drones, damaging power plants, substations, transmission facilities and other infrastructure.
The attacks have caused rolling blackouts and forced Ukraine to undertake extensive repairs while attempting to protect its electricity network. Moscow has maintained that some of the targeted infrastructure supports Ukraine’s military operations.
Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Russia of deliberately attacking civilian infrastructure to weaken public morale and make conditions more difficult during the winter. Ukraine, meanwhile, has dramatically expanded its ability to strike Russian energy facilities.
Long-range Ukrainian drones have targeted oil refineries, fuel storage depots and pumping stations hundreds of miles inside Russia. Those attacks have periodically disrupted Russian refining operations and contributed to concerns about fuel supplies.
Kyiv has argued that damaging Russia’s petroleum industry simultaneously reduces Moscow’s military capabilities and deprives the Kremlin of revenue used to finance the war. An effective energy ceasefire would therefore require significant restraint from both sides.
