Trump claims Russia, Ukraine agreed to 'energy ceasefire' — but Moscow stays silent

US President Donald Trump has announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an immediate halt to attacks on energy infrastructure, but the Kremlin has yet to confirm any agreement and Ukrainian officials say Russian strikes continued after the declaration.

The announcement has raised hopes of a limited truce ahead of winter, when attacks on power plants, heating systems and energy facilities can leave millions of Ukrainians vulnerable.

But uncertainty over whether Moscow has actually agreed to stop the attacks casts doubt on whether the proposed ceasefire will hold.

Trump declared on his Truth Social platform on Sunday: “Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!”

He offered no details about the terms, duration or enforcement of the arrangement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially said the announcement was news to him. He later said Kyiv would support the ceasefire if Russia agreed to observe it.

“Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well. We are awaiting details from the American side,” Zelensky said in a post on Telegram.

Earlier Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his country would be ready to stop hitting Russian oil refineries if Russia curbed its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Zelensky said Russian forces continued launching drones and aerial attacks against Ukrainian targets, including energy infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

A strike hit a combined heating and power plant in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, according to Ukrainian officials. The reports raised immediate questions about whether an agreed truce existed or had taken effect.

Ukraine has repeatedly said it is prepared to stop attacking Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities if Moscow halts its own attacks on Ukrainian power infrastructure.

Kyiv regards strikes on Russian oil facilities as a way to reduce revenue that helps finance the Kremlin’s war. Moscow has not publicly confirmed Trump's latest claim of an energy ceasefire.

The ceasefire claim comes amid a growing dispute over Trump's decision to ease sanctions temporarily to allow Russian diesel to reach US and global markets.

Trump said Russia would release more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel, equivalent to about 2.25 million barrels, in an effort to ease soaring fuel prices.

The move has drawn criticism from Zelensky and US lawmakers who argue that allowing Russian fuel exports could benefit President Vladimir Putin while the war continues.

The dispute has become politically sensitive for Trump as the US grapples with higher fuel costs following the war with Iran.

With congressional midterm elections scheduled for 3 November, lower energy prices have become an important domestic priority for the US president.

Analysts have questioned whether additional Russian diesel supplies would make a significant difference to prices, given the scale of the global energy disruption.

The key question now is whether Russia will formally confirm the energy truce and stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities.

Until both sides clarify the terms and demonstrate compliance, Trump's announcement remains an unverified claim of an agreement rather than evidence that the attacks have ended.