Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of breaking the “energy ceasefire” announced by US President Donald Trump over the weekend. He warned that Ukraine would respond if Moscow refused to accept such a truce.
Speaking by video link to the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, Zelenskyy urged Washington to step in and make sure Moscow honoured the arrangement, saying there had already been breaches. He said he was still waiting for details of the terms agreed between the United States and Russia, and for clarity on the concrete measures Washington was prepared to take. He added that he was surprised by the deal, which he said could help move towards ending the war if it was properly enforced.
Confusion over Trump’s announced energy truce
The announcement on Sunday that Washington and Moscow had agreed an energy truce created confusion. It came two days after Trump temporarily eased US sanctions on Russian diesel, a move that angered European allies and Kyiv, which argued it would strengthen Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy first said he had no knowledge of the agreement, telling Axios it was news to him. Trump has in the past used Truth Social to declare truces before either Kyiv or Moscow confirmed them. Zelenskyy stressed that an energy truce and other steps to lower tensions were needed in practice, not merely posted online.
European leaders welcomed the proposal but, like Zelenskyy, said it had not taken effect. French President Emmanuel Macron said he had seen no sign of an energy ceasefire from the Russian side over the previous 48 hours, speaking to reporters at a Paris autoshow.
Europe calls for tougher sanctions against Moscow
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, also speaking at the Warsaw forum, said Russia showed no interest in a ceasefire, de-escalation or peace. He said he would travel to Brussels to press European partners to consider increasing sanctions.
In Brussels, the European Union said it had formally added nearly 1,600 new sanctions targeting Russia’s military industrial complex. The listings include individuals and entities involved in the four-and-a-half-year war, and the bloc said the aim was to keep pressure on Moscow.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described it as the largest expansion of the bloc’s sanctions list since the war began. She said Europe was showing unity and making it harder, slower and more expensive for Russia to produce the weapons used against Ukrainians.
Naftogaz gas facilities hit in Kharkiv region
Meanwhile, Russia attacked Ukrainian gas production facilities in the Kharkiv region overnight, causing a fire, according to state oil and gas company Naftogaz, which made the statement on Monday. The facilities belong to the company.
Naftogaz acting CEO Sergii Fedorenko wrote on Telegram that the strike had damaged critical equipment. He said staff were working to repair the damage as quickly as possible and to prevent risks to the stable running of the energy system.
Both countries have for months been attacking each other’s energy infrastructure, adding to upward pressure on global energy prices that have already risen amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. A day earlier, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped attacking Ukrainian energy facilities.
