Zelensky says Ukraine ‘will respond’ if Russia does not follow ‘energy ceasefire’

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that his country would retaliate if Moscow did not agree to the “energy ceasefire” announced unilaterally by US President Donald Trump on Sunday evening.

“If Russia does not agree to an energy ceasefire, we will respond,” Zelensky said while addressing the Warsaw Security Forum via videolink.

Trump sparked confusion by announcing an energy ceasefire between the two warring countries without providing any details. The announcement left Kyiv in astonishment, elicited silence from Moscow and support from Ukraine’s Western allies.

“We are waiting for the details of the conversation between the Americans and the Russians, and we are waiting to see what specific steps the Americans are ready to take,” Zelensky said.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia’s response to Houthi attacks to be ‘equally serious’, says energy minister

Trump’s announcement on Sunday came two days after he declared a temporary easing of US sanctions on Russian diesel, prompting outrage by European allies and Kyiv, who said it would only embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“If Russia wants us to stop our long-range strikes against its oil refineries and oil exports, then Russia must stop its strikes against our energy system and critical infrastructure and stop killing our people,” Zelensky said.

‘Energy ceasefire needed in reality, not just on Truth Social’

Trump has been making announcements about any truces or other arrangements on his Truth Social account before either Kyiv or Moscow confirm them.

“An energy ceasefire and other steps to reduce escalation and guarantee security are truly needed here in reality, not just on Truth Social,” Zelensky said.

Also Read: Robert E Hall, Michael Woodford win 2026 Nobel prize in economics

However, Russia hit power plants in Ukraine just hours after Trump said the two countries had agreed on an energy ceasefire.

Residents in the city of Izyum in Ukraine were hit by blackouts after a Russian strike destroyed power grids, according to Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform.

Energy and railway infrastructure in the region of Zhytomyr in western Ukraine were also targeted by overnight attacks by Russia, said the head of the region’s military administration, Vitaliy Bunechko.

Zelensky also said that Russia is blocking grain exports from Ukraine and added that an “agricultural crisis” will unfold within two months. “The US isn’t feeling the effects of this, which is why the focus is only on energy,” he said.