WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to what he described as an “energy ceasefire,” a development that a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said was a surprise.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump said on social media Sunday morning.
CNN has reached out to the White House and Kremlin for information on how the agreement was reached and what the next steps may be.
Asked about Trump’s post on Truth Social, another Ukrainian official told CNN, “We just read it as you did.” After the announcement, Zelensky wrote on X that he had talked to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the news. “Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well. We are awaiting details from the American side,” Zelensky wrote. “For our part, Ukraine always FULLY supports steps toward de-escalation, the protection of lives, and the decisions needed to end the war and guarantee lasting peace.”
The announcement comes days after Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the two announced a controversial deal to supply markets with Russian diesel fuel.
Talks with top Ukrainian and US officials, including Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, got underway in Miami as the diesel deal was announced Friday, but Zelensky criticized the diesel news, saying the move would prolong the war. Trump responded by suggesting Ukraine should “get a new leader who can make a deal.” It was not immediately clear what led to the Sunday announcement. In an interview earlier on Sunday, Zelensky also called for a ceasefire.
“OK, if they want energy ceasefire, we are open for this,” Zelensky said about Russia during an interview with ABC News. “Don’t attack us. Don’t kill our children. We will stop attacking your diesel. And I think it’s fair, fair deal.” Energy infrastructure has been one of the key targets of Russian attacks since the first months of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukraine later began targeting Russian oil refining facilities using domestically made drones to strike deep inside Russia. In recent months, both sides have escalated the aerial war as front lines remain largely stagnant. Trump has expressed frustration about Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy sites. But there have still been several in the past week, with Kyiv viewing them as an essential part of the Kremlin’s war machine. Zelensky said Sunday that Russia has continued to strike Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including a power plant in Kyiv and energy facilities in the Kharkiv region.
