Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukraine is ready to respect the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, but only if Russia does the same, saying Moscow has already violated the agreement.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is waiting for details of the conversations between U.S. and Russian officials and called on Washington to ensure that Moscow respects the ceasefire.
He added that if Russia wants Ukraine to stop attacking its oil refineries, Moscow must stop striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The comments came after Russian strikes killed three people near a grocery store in Kharkiv and another three in western Ukraine on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said. The Kharkiv strike also injured at least 25 people, according to Ukraine's National Police.
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social on Sunday, saying Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacks on energy infrastructure.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump wrote.
After the announcement, Zelenskyy said he spoke with several world leaders who offered their support.
“I just spoke with Mark Carney, Alexander Stubb, and Mark Rutte. We discussed the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump,” Zelenskyy said on X. “Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well. We are awaiting details from the American side.”
Carney also wrote on X that the energy ceasefire “has the potential to significantly de-escalate the war” and protect civilians.
The announcement followed days of pressure from Trump on Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries.
On Saturday, Trump criticised Zelenskyy for continuing the strikes and said it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president.” He accused Zelenskyy of missing opportunities to reach a deal with Moscow.
Trump has also blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for contributing to higher diesel prices in the U.S.
Zelenskyy has rejected the idea of stopping the attacks unilaterally. Earlier on Sunday, he said Ukraine was prepared to halt strikes on Russian refineries if Moscow stopped its own attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The reported pressure on Ukraine came just before Trump announced the ceasefire.
The Financial Times, citing European and Ukrainian officials, reported that U.S. officials had contacted European capitals and Kyiv over the weekend and threatened to cut intelligence sharing and the PURL mechanism used to procure U.S. weapons for Ukraine if Kyiv did not stop attacking Russian oil refineries.
Reuters could not independently verify the report, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In addition to speaking with the Canadian, Finnish and NATO leaders, Zelenskyy said he had also spoken with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Von der Leyen said she supported Zelenskyy's call for a ceasefire and confirmed further EU support for Ukraine, including additional funding for drones and missiles.
Meanwhile British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK strongly supported Trump's call for a sustained ceasefire.
Trump's criticism of Zelenskyy has also brought Ukraine's suspended elections back into the discussion.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine could hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day total ceasefire. Elections are currently suspended under Ukrainian law while martial law remains in place.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has continued to call for stronger European support for Ukraine. In another post on X, he said he had spoken with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk about Ukraine's defence needs, increased Russian strikes and what he described as growing Russian destabilising activity.
Russia has not publicly confirmed the ceasefire. Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready to respect it if Russia does the same, and accused Moscow of violating the agreement.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Chât...
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said....
Saudi Aramco's acquisition of a 49 per cent stake in artificial intelligence (AI) company HUMAIN is putting a spotlight on a wider investment q...
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment