Trump Announces Ukraine-Russia Energy Ceasefire, But Zelenskyy Says It Was 'News to Me'

President Donald Trump surprised the world when he announced a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine — but only for attacks on energy targets like oil refineries and power plants. Trump posted the announcement on his Truth Social account, saying both sides had agreed to stop long-range strikes right away. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the deal was 'news to me,' meaning no one had told him about it beforehand. The announcement added to a growing argument between the United States and Ukraine over how to handle the ongoing war.

Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!' He gave no other details about how the deal was reached or what would happen if either side broke it. This was not the first time Trump made this kind of claim — he said the same thing back in September, but that turned out not to be true. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia was still bombing Ukraine on Sunday, hitting several energy sites.

Zelenskyy said he was surprised but willing to go along with the ceasefire — as long as Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to do the same. He told the Axios website that he was ready to accept the deal if Trump had truly negotiated it with Putin. Zelenskyy had already turned down Trump's earlier request that Ukraine stop bombing Russian oil refineries. He said Russia had to first stop its own attacks on Ukraine's energy system before Ukraine would make any changes.

The tension between Washington and Kyiv started on Friday when Trump announced he was lifting, or removing, sanctions on Russian diesel fuel exports. Sanctions are penalties, like trade restrictions, that countries use to put pressure on others. Trump said removing the sanctions would lower fuel prices before upcoming U.S. elections. But Zelenskyy called the decision 'weak,' warning it would give Putin billions of extra dollars to keep fighting the war even harder.

Trump fired back and said Zelenskyy should stop attacking Russian refineries, and even suggested Ukraine needed a 'new leader.' Zelenskyy responded by saying it was up to the people of Ukraine — not Trump — to choose their leader. He also said he would be willing to hold elections, but only if Putin agreed to a full 60-day ceasefire across all of Ukraine. The public fight between Trump and Zelenskyy is one of the most serious disputes between the two countries in years.

Ukrainian officials are frustrated because they say the U.S. is asking Ukraine to give up its most powerful weapons without asking Russia to give up anything in return. In recent weeks, Ukraine has struck Russian oil storage sites, warehouses, and even data centers, causing major damage to Russia's economy. Meanwhile, Russia's attacks on Ukraine have continued without pause. On Saturday, Russian strikes killed 23 people in the city of Zaporizhzhia, including four children, and hit a five-story apartment building in the town of Sloviansk.

A senior Ukrainian official warned that if the U.S. stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, it would make it much harder for Ukraine to defend itself against air attacks. Ukrainian negotiators had been meeting in Florida with U.S. officials when Trump made his announcement about lifting the Russian diesel sanctions. The Ukrainians felt blindsided and left early, with one official saying, 'It felt like a trap.' Zelenskyy spent the weekend talking with European leaders, including those from the UK, France, and Finland, to build support for Ukraine.