On Sunday, former President Donald Trump announced an immediate energy ceasefire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
This ceasefire was said to take effect right away and applies to both nations, as Trump indicated in a post on his Truth Social platform. He mentioned, “Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!”
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed support for the ceasefire but urged Russia to also commit to it, stating on his X account, “Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well.” He noted that Kyiv is still waiting for more information from Washington. Zelenskyy discussed the ceasefire in calls with leaders from Canada, Finland, and NATO.
I just spoke with @MarkJCarney, @alexstubb, and @SecGenNATO Mark Rutte. We discussed the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump. Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well. We are awaiting details from the American side. 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. Thank you!
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 11, 2026
Ukraine has stated it would only agree to a halt if Russia ceased all attacks on Ukrainian energy resources, according to Euronews. However, the two countries seem to have different interpretations of what constitutes energy, with Moscow focusing more on oil exports and Kyiv concerned about electricity and heating for its civilian population.
Previously, Russia had dismissed calls for a mutual suspension of energy strikes, with reports from the Financial Times in September indicating that Putin intended to continue targeting Ukrainian energy structures throughout the winter to force concessions from Kyiv.
A few weeks prior, Trump had made a similar assertion, as noted by the South China Morning Post, and the very next day, Russia struck fuel stations in Kyiv. Following that, Ukraine retaliated by bombing a Russian refinery. Two senior Ukrainian officials speculated that Trump’s announcement was partly to demonstrate to American voters that he was working to lower fuel costs, based on information from the Financial Times.
Implementing an energy ceasefire would mean that both countries need to stop attacking each other’s energy and fuel infrastructure, according to Al Jazeera. Trump has voiced concerns about damage to Russia’s oil-refining capacity, linking it to rising global diesel prices as the midterm elections approach in November.
Some analysts, however, have expressed skepticism about whether a ceasefire brokered by Trump would be any more successful than previous attempts, as reported by Al Jazeera.
