President Donald Trump’s claim of brokering an ‘energy ceasefire’ lasted mere moments.
Russians struck a power plant in Kyiv with a ‘Shahed suicide drone’ in Kharviv and other energy facilities in the Kharkiv region less than an hour after Trump announced Putin and Zelensky had come to an agreement.
But Zelensky, who said the agreement – designed to halt spiralling oil prices – was ‘news to him’ and claimed Russia had kept up its barrage on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Zelensky said he told his concerns to EU’s Ursula von der Leyen.
He wrote: ‘Of course, I informed her about the ongoing brutal Russian strikes. Just before our conversation, the Russians struck an power plant in Kyiv with a “Shahed,” causing power outages in many districts. Later, there were strikes on energy facilities in the Kharkiv region. And this is already AFTER the statement by the President of the United States on an energy ceasefire.’
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He added: ‘In such conditions, reliable support from our partners is real protection of lives and a guarantee that the Russians will not be able to break Ukraine. We greatly appreciate all the real steps to support our defense, our people.’
It came an hour after Trump proclaimed on Truth Social: ‘Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!’
The White House added: ‘Effective Immediately: An ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine.’
Initially, Zelensky said he supports the ceasefire before stressing that Russia must also agree to the terms.
‘We are awaiting details from the American side,’ Zelensky says.
‘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.’
But President Zelensky told Axios ‘Trump’s ceasefire announcement was news for me’.
He added: ‘But if Russians agree to an energy ceasefire Ukraine will agree. If president Trump negotiated it with Putin – please tell us when the ceasefire begins – we are ready and we will accept it’.
Russia is yet to comment on the truce but there have been strikes reported at
Trump has previously said ‘it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president’ and accused Volodymyr Zelensky’s of ‘making problems for the world’ after a shocking fallout over the US-Russia diesel deal.
Mr Zelensky was ‘blindsided’ when Mr Trump announced an agreement to buy almost two million tonnes of Russian oil. Kyiv fears the move could add over £3billion to Vladimir Putin’s war effort.
Trump has hit out at Zelensky, blaming Ukraine’s strikes on Russia’s oil refineries for surging worldwide prices.
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