On Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia has not shown any signs of adhering to an energy ceasefire declared by U.S. President Trump. Zelenskyy reported an attack by Russia on a power plant in eastern Ukraine shortly after the ceasefire announcement. By Monday afternoon, multiple Ukrainian energy sites were targeted.
“Ukraine is prepared to uphold the energy ceasefire announced by the U.S., but Russia must also comply,” Zelenskyy posted online. “Currently, Russia shows no sign of following the agreement’s conditions.”
When questioned about Russia’s potential breach of the ceasefire, President Trump commented, “We’ll review it, but I believe Zelenskyy and Putin should resolve this ongoing conflict.” He noted violations from both sides. Trump later stated that he feels Russian President Vladimir Putin is more eager to negotiate than Zelenskyy.
In the past year, Trump’s attempts to broker peace regarding strikes on energy infrastructures were unsuccessful. Earlier this year, he claimed that Russia agreed to halt attacks for a week, but assaults resumed after four days. In September, assurances from both Putin and Zelenskyy failed to stop the hostility.
Ukraine expressed doubts about Russia’s commitment to halt attacks, highlighting the greater impact of Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure compared to the reverse. According to the International Energy Agency, Russian oil refining has decreased, but its economy remains stable. “Though damaging, Ukraine’s strikes are not collapsing Russia’s economy,” stated Alexander Kolyandr from Eurasia Group.
With an economy ten times larger than Ukraine, Russia’s attacks cause significant disruption. As winter approaches, Ukraine faces power outages due to persistent strikes on its power grid. Kolyandr noted that Russia does not differentiate between civilian and military targets when targeting infrastructure.
Last winter, Ukraine endured harsh conditions amid energy disruptions, prompting Trump to ask Putin to cease attacks. Currently, Trump has shifted focus toward Ukraine, amidst rising global energy prices linked more to the Russia-Ukraine conflict than the one with Iran.
Recently, Trump announced a shift in policy, allowing Russian diesel sales to global markets. A European official and a Ukrainian representative conveyed that the U.S. made threats to stop intelligence sharing and halt Western weapon purchases by Ukraine if strikes on Russian energy sites continue. Ukraine is taking these warnings seriously, as they rely on U.S. intelligence to counter Russian missile attacks.
According to Zelenskyy, successful de-escalation depends on increased U.S. pressure on Russia. “More pressure on Russia is essential,” he urged.