In brief
On Sunday President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on attacks against energy infrastructure in Ukraine, a move that Moscow has quietly declined to address publicly. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the deal, saying it is news to him and that Kyiv is ready to sign only if Russia agrees. Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said contacts were ongoing and that the Kremlin would inform the world when it has a clear response. Pro‑Kremlin outlets argue the ceasefire favours Moscow, allowing it to keep its oil refinery attacks bottled while preventing Kyiv from striking Russian facilities. Meanwhile, Ukraine reports continued drone strikes on Russian energy sites and the Kremlin pushes back against the wage‑price claim that the Trump‑Putin fuel deal will lower U.S. gasoline prices.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had reached an agreement to stop strikes on energy infrastructure effective immediately.
Zelensky welcomed the announcement, saying the ceasefire is new news for him and that Ukraine will sign up only if Moscow agrees.
Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied that contacts are continuing and that the Kremlin will inform the public once it has a clear response. He was asked a question about a ceasefire during his daily press briefing.
Pro‑government outlets see the development as a one‑way advantage for Moscow. An outlet named Moskovsky Komsomolets highlighted that the stop to Ukraine’s attacks would limit the need for Russia to destroy the last functioning oil refinery in the country, which has already suffered multiple hits.
In contrast, Kyiv’s forces have continued drone strikes on Russian oil facilities, dealing severe damage and fuel shortages across the Russian side. Russian officials warn that if these attacks persist, the White House will view them as a threat to U.S. economic interests and potentially to the Republican Party’s prospects in the upcoming midterms.
The Kremlin has not formally rejected Trump’s claim, but it criticized the announcement as a “gift” that ties Ukrainian hands rather than Russia’s, according to pro‑Kremlin media. Read more about the fuel deal and its implications.
While Moscow would welcome a reduction of U.S. support for Kyiv if attacks continue, the Kremlin has proposed only a one‑day pause in hostilities to allow Ukraine to hold elections. Such a brief truce is viewed by both Kyiv and Western observers as a token offer that does not stem the wider conflict.
