BS BULLETIN
- Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.
- Zelenskyy welcomed the announcement but said Russian attacks were continuing.
- Moscow had not publicly confirmed the agreement in the initial reporting.
- Ukrainian officials reported another attack on an energy facility Monday.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure.
But Ukrainian officials reported that Russian attacks continued even after the president’s announcement.
Trump declared the agreement on social media, saying both countries had agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy facilities.
He offered few details and warned both sides not to violate the arrangement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the announcement as potentially good news, but said Russia was still striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
In an evening address Sunday, Zelenskyy reported continuing attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv, including a strike against a power plant in Kharkiv.
Ukraine’s presidential office confirmed that the Kharkiv attack occurred after Trump’s ceasefire announcement.
By Monday, the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office was reporting another Russian attack on an energy facility outside the city.
Russia had not immediately confirmed accepting the ceasefire.
The conflicting accounts raised questions about whether a mutual agreement had actually been reached and, if so, whether Moscow intended to honor it.
Zelenskyy has previously expressed willingness to suspend Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil refineries if Moscow agrees to stop attacking Ukraine’s energy grid.
The Ukrainian president has resisted pressure to halt those strikes unilaterally, arguing that Russia must also suspend its attacks.
He reiterated that position Sunday, saying Ukraine was prepared to refrain from attacking Russian energy facilities if Russia demonstrated the same willingness.
The disagreement comes amid renewed controversy over Trump’s efforts to reduce global energy prices.
The president recently announced an arrangement to purchase Russian diesel, drawing criticism from Ukrainian and European officials concerned that additional energy revenue could benefit Moscow during its war against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure have continued as the country prepares for winter.
Ukraine has also expanded strikes against Russian infrastructure, including facilities operated by technology giant Yandex.
The competing military campaigns illustrate the difficulty of establishing a ceasefire limited to energy targets while broader hostilities continue.
Trump has repeatedly sought a negotiated end to the conflict, but Sunday’s announcement demonstrated how far apart the public positions of the parties remain.
A ceasefire requires both sides to agree to its terms and carry them out.
As of Monday’s reporting, that mutual commitment had not been established.
DBS WIRE SOURCES
- Associated Press — Trump announces energy ceasefire while attacks continue
- CBS News — Zelenskyy responds to Trump’s announcement
- The Wall Street Journal — Trump declares energy ceasefire without Russian confirmation
