We are ready to agree, but energy facility in Kharkiv has just been hit – Zelenskyy on Trump’s ‘energy ceasefire’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated in his evening address that Ukraine is willing to refrain from striking Russian energy infrastructure and expects a similar willingness from Russia, but the Russians have not yet stopped their attacks, including attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.

Zelenskyy said that it is good news that an energy ceasefire has been secured, as US President Donald Trump stated.

The president stated that Ukraine supports all genuine and reliable formats for a ceasefire and an end to the war.

“Ukraine supports all genuine and reliable formats for a ceasefire and an end to the war. Ukraine is ready to refrain from striking Russian energy infrastructure – and we count on the same readiness from Russia, as well as on the agreement reached by the President of the United States on this matter. We welcome such an agreement. Unfortunately, Ukrainian skies have been infested with Russian “shaheds” all day today. There are “shaheds” in the skies right now, too. Unfortunately, there have been glide bomb strikes. There have been strikes on our energy infrastructure. Just now, there was a strike on CHP-5 in Kharkiv – on Kharkiv’s energy infrastructure,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated. 

He also noted that over the past week alone, the Russians have carried out over 200 strikes against power generation and transmission facilities in Ukraine. Another 17 strikes during the week have targeted gas and oil facilities in Ukraine. In this one week alone, the Russians have killed more than 150 Ukrainians and injured over 700 people.

“Ukraine has proposed many de-escalatory steps. [Kremlin ruler Vladimir] Putin had one answer to all of them – “nyet.” We do hope that he will finally say something different to America, Ukraine, and the entire world. Something other than killings and deception. Something that will lead to a real and dignified peace. Ukraine wants peace. The question is whether Russia does,” the Ukrainian president said.

Zelenskyy said the Armed Forces of Ukraine “have received all the appropriate orders”.

“We are defending Ukraine. We are fighting for support for Ukraine. We support all steps by our partners that can help us. We are awaiting clear details of the dialogue between America and Russia – and we expect Putin to follow through on what President Trump said,” Zelenskyy concluded.

To provide background, on 11 October, Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire. Barak Ravid, a journalist at American news portal Axios, stated that Zelenskyy had been unaware of the “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia announced by Trump, but is willing to agree to it.

Earlier, Trump reached an agreement with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to supply Russian diesel fuel to the United States and global markets. Trump agreed with Putin to immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, another 500,000 in November, and a further 1 million tons thereafter. Trump added that a further 3 million will be delivered within a short period of time, based on the condition of Russian diesel refineries.

In a related move, the US Treasury Department announced a partial lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel through April 2027.

Axios reported, citing a Ukrainian official, that during negotiations with the Ukrainian team, Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner threatened to stop providing intelligence to Ukraine over strikes on Russian oil refineries.

An oil refinery in Moscow, Russia, after a Ukrainian strike last month

Financial Times reported that the Trump administration is threatening to stop the procurement system that provides Ukraine with weapons to press Kyiv to halt its deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, according to officials in Europe. 

Human rights organisations and Ukrainian authorities emphasise that structural economic pressure remains a key tool to halt such atrocities. They urge every nation and individual government worldwide to strictly enforce global sanctions, close existing regulatory loopholes, and completely sever remaining commercial and technological ties with the Russian Federation. Civil society groups stress that any continued cooperation by foreign businesses directly contributes to the resources Moscow uses to sustain its ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis told NBC News that Trump may not be following the law with the Russian deal.

“I do believe there’s a legitimate case for saying the president is not following the law,” he said.

Responding to criticism on the deal with Russia, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News the administration would navigate the new agreement “with all of the legal authorities we have”.

Bessent says members of Congress claiming the bill prohibits the administration from pursuing the deal are “wrong”, adding that the agreement will bring diesel prices down and is “good for the American people”.

BBC News reported that the group, consisting of three Democrats and four Republicans, including Tillis, made reference to a bill passed by Congress in 2022 to ban the import of Russian oil, saying it was done “to prevent American dollars from financing Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine”.

The statement adds, “The US should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our Nato allies.”

The group says the president’s decision to allow Russian diesel imports into the country “runs directly counter to that law”, adding the administration failed to consult with Congress “or submit any explanation to justify its decision as required by statute”.

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