Trump says both sides agreed, truce effective immediately

Zelensky says he heard nothing about it, stops short of rejecting deal

Russia continues strikes on Kharkiv power plant

US-Ukraine tensions rise over Russian diesel trade

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters upon arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday (local time). [AFP]
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters upon arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday (local time). [AFP]

US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a truce halting attacks on each other's energy facilities. Ukraine, however, said it had not been informed of any such agreement beforehand, and Russia struck a Ukrainian power plant even after the announcement. With no official confirmation of Russian consent, questions are mounting over whether the truce has any real effect.

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Sunday (local time) that "an energy truce has been established" in the war between Russia and Ukraine, adding that it would take effect "immediately." He said both sides had agreed and urged them not to violate the terms.

The energy truce Trump described appears to mean that both countries would halt attacks on each other's power plants, electricity grids, oil refineries and other energy infrastructure. He did not, however, disclose the specific targets covered, the duration of the truce or how it would be enforced.

Ukraine's reaction was markedly different. President Volodymyr Zelensky told the US online outlet Axios that the announcement was "the first time I'm hearing this," adding that if Russia agreed to an energy truce, Ukraine would agree as well.

Zelensky later reaffirmed on social media that Ukraine supported the truce and urged Russia to join, while also saying he was waiting for a detailed explanation from the US side.

Russian attacks continued after Trump's announcement. In a video address Sunday evening, Zelensky said Russian forces had struck a combined heat and power plant in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. The Russian government has not issued an official statement on the truce agreement.

Both countries have repeatedly targeted each other's energy infrastructure throughout the war. Russia launched large-scale missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian power plants and electricity grids on Sept. 30 and Wednesday, causing blackouts in Kyiv and other cities. Ukraine has responded in kind, striking Russian oil refineries with drones.

The announcement came shortly after tensions between the United States and Ukraine escalated over the supply of Russian diesel.

Trump has pressed Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, citing the need to keep global energy prices in check. On Friday, he announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply Russian diesel to the US and global markets on a large scale, and eased some related sanctions.

Zelensky sharply criticized the Russian diesel deal, calling it "like a birthday present for Putin." Trump fired back, accusing Zelensky of rejecting an opportunity to end the war and saying Ukraine needed new leadership.

The two countries had previously agreed in March last year, under US mediation, to a 30-day halt on attacks against energy facilities, but strikes continued afterward and both sides traded blame for violating the agreement. Trump also announced a similar energy truce on Sept. 14, but the airstrikes did not stop.

This time, Ukraine has again signaled conditional support for the truce, while Russia has yet to confirm its agreement or halt its attacks. Whether Trump's truce declaration will translate into an actual cessation of strikes on the ground remains uncertain.


sjy@heraldcorp.com