US President Donald Trump has maintained that Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure, while calling on both sides to end what he described as a “ridiculous” war. He made the remarks on Monday, a day after announcing the arrangement.
The claim came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had hit at least six energy facilities in Ukraine since the truce was declared on Sunday. Asked about those strikes, Trump said he would need to examine them, pointing out that both sides had breached the arrangement.
Disputed strikes put the energy truce under strain
Zelenskyy said Ukraine backed an energy ceasefire and had not carried out attacks on Russian refineries overnight. He added that Kyiv was willing to sign guarantees that would make the deal trustworthy, but said it was becoming clear that Moscow would not comply.
On social media, Zelenskyy reported that Russia had attacked six energy sites that day and wounded 33 people across the country. He linked the assaults to Moscow’s hope of higher revenue for its military campaign.
Russia has rejected any pause in fighting. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would press ahead with its operation, arguing that Zelenskyy did not deserve a respite and that Russia would not again accept assurances and promises.
Trump also described the conflict, which was sparked by Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as a disaster. Without providing evidence, he claimed that at least 32,000 people had been killed this month alone.
Diesel sanctions relief angers Europe and Ukraine
The energy truce followed a decision, two days earlier, to temporarily ease US sanctions on Russian diesel. That move provoked outrage in Europe and Ukraine, and Trump had announced the ceasefire without warning Kyiv or its European partners.
Zelenskyy said the diesel decision undid years of Western efforts to isolate Russia’s economy and would encourage Putin. Lawmakers from both major US parties said it appears to break American law, and several Republicans objected that it weakens a law Trump himself signed to tighten restrictions on Moscow.
Ukraine’s European allies voiced scepticism about the energy truce. Meanwhile, the bloc’s foreign ministers approved the largest set of EU sanctions since Russia’s 2022 invasion, adding about 1,569 people and businesses to the list. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin that Russia would negotiate seriously only under pressure, and that his government would keep its sanctions in place.
Midterm pressures shape Trump’s harder line on Ukraine
Alan Fisher, a correspondent reporting from Washington, said Trump had previously announced agreements between Russia and Ukraine that never materialised. Fisher said the president claims he wants to shield American farmers and ranchers, which requires lower prices, but noted that Trump seems to believe a deal exists while others are not sure.
According to the correspondent, the latest announcement appeared driven by Trump’s wish to bring down diesel prices before the US midterm elections on November 3. Most polls predict Republicans will lose control of Congress as voters grow frustrated with rising costs, particularly petrol.
A survey published on October 1 by the Associated Press and the University of Chicago found that 65 percent of American adults blame the White House for the high cost of living. Respondents pointed to Trump’s tariff policies and his new war against Iran.
Trump has cast Ukraine, rather than Russia, as the main obstacle to peace. He has said Putin is more eager for a deal than Zelenskyy and has urged Ukrainians to vote their president out of office, an unusually harsh turn in a relationship that has been strained since Trump returned to the White House in 2025.
