In brief
U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire on attacks to energy infrastructure. Kyiv welcomed the announcement, while Moscow has offered no public comment, instead stressing that the move only limits Russia’s actions and benefits its own interests. The Kremlin’s spokesman said talks are ongoing but has not confirmed the ceasefire, and pro‑government outlets have highlighted the one‑handed nature of the deal. Analysts warn that continued drone strikes on Russian oil facilities could inflame U.S. political pressures and undermine the said fuel‑deal.
On Sunday President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had reached a ceasefire on strikes to energy infrastructure, saying the agreement was “effective immediately”.
Zelensky welcomed the announcement, suggesting Ukraine would sign if Russia did, while Moscow has offered no public comment for the moment.
In a daily press briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “contacts are continuing” and that details would be released “as soon as we have anything to say about this.”
Pro‑government media outlets, such as Moskovsky Komsomolets, described the Trump announcement as a “gift” to Moscow, arguing that it merely prevents Russia from striking Ukraine’s last functioning oil refinery, while allowing it to maintain a one‑way advantage.
Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian oil facilities have escalated, creating fuel shortages across Russia and providing Moscow with a pretext to claim the strikes undermine a recent Trump‑Putin fuel deal that would bring Russian diesel to American consumers.
Analysts warn that continued attacks could provoke anger in Washington, potentially curtailing U.S. support for Kyiv and exposing the trade‑deal to political backlash, especially ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
Moscow has also proposed very brief ceasefires in the past weeks, but views them as insufficient and unrelated to any lasting peace, underscoring its willingness to keep the conflict active until it can secure a political victory in Ukraine.
