President Donald Trump on Sunday announced an immediate “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, a day after ripping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for targeting Russian energy infrastructure during the war and calling for a new Ukrainian leader.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Both parties have agreed. Do not break it! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Ukraine previously said recent strikes on refineries in cities, including Moscow, Yaroslavl, Ust-Luga, Perm, Saratov, and Syzran, had disabled more than half of Russia’s oil refining capacity. That marked a troubling development for the United States, where officials are counting on its new diesel agreement with Russia to help bring down fuel prices that have surged due to the Iran and Ukraine wars.
Trump has said Ukraine’s actions during the war have led to an increase in oil prices, which Americans are feeling at the gas pump, dismissing the role of the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply flows.
In an effort to bring diesel prices down in the U.S., Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a deal to supply the U.S. with Russian diesel fuel. The Trump administration was previously working on freeing up Russian diesel, which had been blocked from being imported into the U.S., to lower the price of fuel used in the agriculture and transportation sectors.
The agreement with Russia was met with staunch opposition from Zelensky, as the Ukrainian president claimed it is a means of funding Russia’s war effort.
“That means more money for this war, more money to inflict suffering on us, without a doubt. It only feeds Putin and gives him the ability to fight even more,” Zelensky said in a statement.
REPUBLICAN BACKLASH BREWS OVER TRUMP’S DIESEL DEAL WITH RUSSIA
Zelensky said on Sunday that he is open to an energy ceasefire if Russia scales back attacks targeting civilians.
“If they want an energy ceasefire, we are open for this,” he said. “Don’t attack us. Don’t kill our children. We will stop attacking your diesel. And I think it’s a fair deal.”
