Zelensky Accuses Russia Of Violating Trump’s Energy Ceasefire Proposal, Says Ukraine Has Halted Strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday accused Russia of continuing to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to halt such strikes.

Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, Zelensky said Ukraine was “horribly surprised” by Russian attacks on a power plant in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, a gas production facility and a civilian gas station hours after Trump announced the proposed energy ceasefire.

In an interview with Fox News Channel’s America’s Newsroom later on Monday, Zelensky said Ukraine had refrained from attacking Russian energy facilities since Trump’s announcement on Sunday. He described the proposed arrangement as “a good first step” towards ending the war but questioned whether Russian President Vladimir Putin was prepared to honour it.

“I’m not sure that Putin is ready,” Zelensky said.

“Even after yesterday’s messages from Trump, Putin attacked our gas infrastructure,” he added, explaining that an energy ceasefire would require both sides to stop targeting each other’s energy facilities.

Trump’s social media announcement on Sunday provided few details but said the ceasefire had taken effect immediately, adding: “Do not break it!”

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined on Monday to confirm whether Russia had agreed to the arrangement, saying only that “contacts are ongoing”.

Energy Infrastructure Attacks Raise Concerns Ahead Of Winter

Energy strikes have caused significant damage in both countries during the war.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian energy facilities, disrupting electricity, heating and water supplies. Ukrainian officials have described the strategy as “weaponizing winter” and fear Moscow could intensify attacks as temperatures fall.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has targeted Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries located deep inside Russian territory.

Trump previously announced a similar arrangement on September 14, saying both countries had agreed “not to hit” each other’s energy infrastructure. That proposal also lacked detailed terms and did not lead to a sustained halt in attacks.

Zelensky pushed back against Trump’s claim that Ukrainian strikes on Russian facilities were contributing to higher fuel prices in the United States. He argued that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-led war in Iran, were responsible for pressure on diesel prices.

EU Questions Whether Moscow Will Honour Ceasefire

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed the prospect of a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure but expressed doubts about Russia’s willingness to comply.

“We haven’t yet seen that … Russia will stick to it,” Kallas said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

She also argued that any ceasefire should extend beyond energy facilities to protect human lives more broadly.

The proposed energy truce comes amid controversy over Trump’s reported agreement with Putin to purchase diesel from Russia in an effort to ease fuel prices ahead of the US midterm elections.

A bipartisan group of six US senators, including four Republicans, urged the Trump administration on Sunday to reverse course, warning against providing Putin with a financial lifeline while Russian forces continue to kill Ukrainian civilians.

Kallas also rejected Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine should elect a new president, saying elections should not take place during the war without a ceasefire.

Zelensky Says Elections Require At Least 60-Day Ceasefire

Zelensky said holding elections during wartime was currently impossible, particularly as Russian attacks continued day and night. However, he said he would be prepared to work towards organising elections if Ukraine secured a full ceasefire lasting at least 60 days.

Peskov responded that Putin would be prepared to halt attacks on Ukraine specifically on election day if a vote were held.

The Kremlin spokesman accused Kyiv of seeking a 60-day ceasefire to rebuild its military strength before continuing the war.

Russian Drone Attacks Kill Civilians In Ukraine

Russian attacks continued across Ukraine on Sunday and Monday, with civilian casualties reported in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions.

In Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, a Russian drone struck a 25-storey residential building on Monday night, killing a woman and injuring at least five people, according to the city’s military administration.

Earlier attacks also caused fires and injuries in residential areas of the capital. Debris fell near homes in the Solomianskyi district and on a warehouse building in Darnytskyi.

In the Kharkiv district, a Russian drone attack on the village of Pisochyn on Sunday evening killed three people and injured nine others, including children, according to the regional prosecutor’s office. The strike hit a densely populated area near apartment buildings and grocery stores, triggering a fire.

Ukraine’s Air Force said its air defences intercepted or suppressed 89 of 121 Russian drones overnight on Monday. The attack also involved a Kh-59 guided air-to-surface missile, while strikes were recorded at 15 locations and debris from downed drones fell at four sites.

Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said its air defences intercepted 151 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions, Crimea and the Black Sea.

The ministry also claimed Russian forces had carried out overnight drone strikes against Ukrainian port infrastructure and a bulk carrier heading towards Odesa with military cargo on board.

The continuing attacks have cast doubt on the prospects for an immediate reduction in hostilities, even as Washington pursues efforts to secure a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.