Zelenskyy says ceasefire ‘was news for me’ but Kyiv would accept it if Moscow does
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the “energy ceasefire” was news to him.
He told the news outlet Axios that he was not aware of an “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia announced by Donald Trump, but added that if Moscow agreed to such a ceasefire, Kyiv would accept it.
“The ceasefire announcement was news for me. 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,” Zelenskiy was quoted as saying by Axios.
Key events
Luke Harding
The latest acrimonious row between Washington and Kyiv began on Friday when Trump announced he was lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports. He said the move would reduce global and domestic fuel prices before next month’s US midterm elections.
A furious Zelenskyy called the decision “weak” and said it would generate “billions” in extra revenue for Putin, enabling him to wage war “even more intensely”. An equally irate Trump warned that Zelenskyy should “damn well stop” hitting Russian refineries. Ukraine needed a “new leader”, he said on Saturday.
Responding to Trump, Zelenskyy said it was up to Ukraine’s society to chose “one or another leader”. He told ABC News he was willing to bow down to US demands and to organise elections, but only if Putin agreed to a “total” sixty-day ceasefire.
Zelenskyy says ceasefire ‘was news for me’ but Kyiv would accept it if Moscow does
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the “energy ceasefire” was news to him.
He told the news outlet Axios that he was not aware of an “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia announced by Donald Trump, but added that if Moscow agreed to such a ceasefire, Kyiv would accept it.
“The ceasefire announcement was news for me. 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,” Zelenskiy was quoted as saying by Axios.
Luke Harding
In his Truth Social post, Trump gave no further details. The US president had made a similar claim in September, which turned out to be untrue.
Ukraine’s government did not immediately comment on the US president’s latest statement, or confirm a deal had taken place.
Luke Harding
Just hours before Donald Trump claimed the two sides had agreed a ceasefire on energy strikes, Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuffed his demand that Ukraine stop bombing Russian oil refineries.
Zelenskyy demanded Moscow has to first halt its own “brutal” attacks on Ukraine and its energy infrastructure.
Ukraine’s president said any deal to end his country’s long-range drone strikes on targets inside Russia would have to be “reciprocal”. It should be backed by “real guarantees” – meaning punitive measures against Moscow from Ukraine’s allies, including the US.
Trump claims Russia and Ukraine agree to stop attacks on energy infrastructure
Donald Trump has claimed Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an ”energy ceasefire”, though the US president gave no details of the purported agreement.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” he wrote on his Truth Social network.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account shortly after Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told ABC on Sunday that Ukraine was ready for a ceasefire, including on energy infrastructure.
This announcement follows Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy for attacks on Russian diesel facilities, which he blames for global shortages.
Stick with us as we bring you the latest developments as we get them.
