Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of violating an energy ceasefire announced by United States President Donald Trump, warning that Kyiv will respond if Moscow continues attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Speaking via videolink at the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, Zelenskyy called on Washington to clarify the terms of the proposed truce and take concrete steps to ensure Russia respects it.
The Ukrainian leader said that there had already been “Russian violations of the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump”, adding that Kyiv was waiting for details of the arrangement between Washington and Moscow.
“We are waiting for the details of the conditions between the Americans and Russians, and we are waiting to see what specific steps the Americans are ready to take.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
He expressed surprise at Trump’s announcement but maintained that an energy ceasefire could contribute to broader efforts to end the war if the United States actively ensured compliance.
“This energy ceasefire, it can work, and it can become a major step toward ending the war if the Americans truly step in now and make sure Russians respect it … If Russia does not agree to an energy ceasefire, we will respond.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy added that practical measures to reduce hostilities and guarantee security were needed. “An energy ceasefire and other steps to reduce escalation and guarantee security are truly needed here in reality, not just on Truth Social,” he said.
Trump announced the ceasefire on Sunday through his Truth Social platform, declaring that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacks on energy infrastructure.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Donald Trump
Uncertainty Over Trump’s Announcement
The announcement generated uncertainty over the agreement’s terms and implementation, with Zelenskyy initially saying he had no prior knowledge of the arrangement and describing it as “news to him,” according to a news agency.
Trump has previously used his social media platform to announce truces and other arrangements before either Kyiv or Moscow publicly confirmed them.
The announcement also came two days after Trump declared a temporary easing of US sanctions on Russian diesel. The move drew criticism from European allies and Ukraine, who argued that easing restrictions could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly targeted each other’s energy infrastructure in recent months. The attacks have added to concerns about energy supplies and prices, which have also faced upward pressure amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.
European leaders welcomed the prospect of a ceasefire but questioned whether it had taken effect.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he had seen no indication that Russia had observed an energy truce. “I have not noted, over the last 48 hours, any energy ceasefire coming from the Russian side,” Macron told reporters at a Paris autoshow.
At the Warsaw Security Forum, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also expressed doubts about Moscow’s willingness to halt hostilities.
“Russia is not interested in a ceasefire, de-escalation, or peace … that is why I will go to Brussels to urge all European partners to consider increasing sanctions.”
Donald Tusk
EU Expands Sanctions As Energy Attacks Continue
The European Union announced in Brussels that it had added almost 1,600 new sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex, including individuals and entities linked to its war against Ukraine.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas described the move as the bloc’s largest expansion of its sanctions list since Russia began the war.
“This is the single largest expansion of our sanctions list since Russia started its war. Europe is again showing a united front … We are making it significantly harder, slower and more expensive for Russia to produce the weapons it uses to kill Ukrainians.”
Kaja Kallas
The sanctions announcement underscores the EU’s continued effort to maintain economic pressure on Moscow while uncertainty surrounds the proposed energy ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s state oil and gas company, Naftogaz, reported that Russian forces attacked its gas production facilities in the Kharkiv region overnight, causing a fire and damaging critical equipment.
Naftogaz Acting Chief Executive, Sergii Fedorenko said that the company was working to repair the damage and protect the stability of the country’s energy system. “The attack damaged critical equipment. Our employees are doing everything possible to repair the damage as quickly as possible and prevent risks to the stable operation of the energy system,” Fedorenko wrote on Telegram today.
A day earlier, Zelenskyy had said that Ukraine was prepared to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
His latest warning places the focus on whether the proposed truce will translate into a verifiable reduction in attacks, with Kyiv looking to Washington for details and enforcement measures as fighting continues.
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