Zelenskyy accuses Russia of violating Trump’s energy ceasefire

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1457 EAT on Monday 12 October 2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of violating the “energy ceasefire” announced unilaterally by US President Donald Trump over the weekend, warning that Kyiv would respond if the attacks continue.

Speaking via videolink at the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, Zelenskyy urged Washington to ensure Moscow honours the truce, citing what he described as “Russian violations of the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump.”

Zelenskyy said Kyiv was awaiting details of the agreement between Washington and Moscow, including the measures the US was prepared to take to ensure compliance.

“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,” he said, expressing surprise at the ceasefire arrangement.

He said the truce could mark significant progress towards ending the war if Washington intervened to ensure Moscow respected it. However, he warned that Ukraine would retaliate if Russia refused to honour the agreement.

Trump’s announcement on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an “energy ceasefire” sparked confusion. It followed his decision on Friday to temporarily ease US sanctions on Russian diesel, a move that angered European allies and Kyiv, who warned that it could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly targeted each other’s energy infrastructure in recent months, contributing to upward pressure on global energy prices, which have also been affected by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Zelenskyy initially said he was unaware of the agreement, describing it as “news to him,” according to Axios.

Trump has previously used his Truth Social platform to announce ceasefires and other arrangements before either Kyiv or Moscow publicly confirmed them.

“An energy ceasefire and other steps to reduce escalation and guarantee security are truly needed here in reality, not just on Truth Social,” Zelenskyy added.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he had seen no evidence of an energy ceasefire initiated by Russia in the preceding 48 hours.

“I have not noted, over the last 48 hours, any energy ceasefire coming from the Russian side,” Macron told reporters at a Paris motor show.

Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Moscow was unwilling to pursue peace and called for tougher measures against Russia.

“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,” Tusk said.

Meanwhile, the European Union announced in Brussels that it had added nearly 1,600 entries to its sanctions list targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex, including individuals and entities linked to its war against Ukraine.

“This is the single largest expansion of our sanctions list since Russia started its war,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in an online statement.

“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,” she added.

Separately, Russia attacked gas production facilities operated by Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company Naftogaz in the Kharkiv region overnight, triggering a fire, the company said on Monday.

“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,” Naftogaz acting Chief Executive Officer Sergii Fedorenko wrote on Telegram.

A day earlier, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared to stop attacking Russian oil refineries if Moscow halted its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

-Aljazeera

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