Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russia struck a power plant in Kharkiv immediately after US President Donald Trump announced an energy ceasefire.
Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine supported the proposal but had yet to see evidence that Russia had agreed to it.
“This energy ceasefire can work, and it can become a major step toward ending the war,” he said, adding that Kiev was awaiting details of discussions between Washington and Moscow.
Trump said on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to immediately stop attacks on energy infrastructure, without providing details.
The Kremlin did not confirm an agreement on Monday.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said contacts were continuing and Moscow would announce any developments.
“We are ready to respect an energy ceasefire if Russia is ready to do the same,” Zelenskyy said.
He also warned that Ukraine would respond if Russian attacks continued.
“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,” he said.
Zelenskyy urged Washington to ensure Moscow honoured the proposed truce.
“We need American pressure on Russia, not sanctions relief, not concessions, but real pressure, so that we can achieve at least what the American president posted about yesterday – an energy ceasefire,” he said.
Presidential elections, diesel deal
Asked about elections, Zelenskyy said holding a vote under current conditions was “completely impossible,” citing ongoing Russian attacks and the difficulty of ensuring that military personnel could participate.
Zelenskyy said he was ready to work with parliament to find a way to hold elections if the US secured a full ceasefire lasting at least 60 days.
His remarks followed Trump’s call Saturday for Ukraine to get a new president.
“If the American president has such a strong desire, and after all, he has made a deal with the Russians, he lifted sanctions on them, then he can influence the leader of the Kremlin to have a full ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said. “And if we have at least a 60-day full ceasefire, then I'll be ready to work on holding elections.”
He also criticised Washington’s reported decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning the deal’s potential impact on global markets.
Zelenskyy said the reported volumes of 300,000 to 500,000 tonnes per month would have little effect on global supplies, which he put at about 120 million tonnes monthly.
“Let's propose a diesel deal with Ukraine,” he said.
Zelenskyy argued that Kiev could refrain from striking Russian oil infrastructure if Washington helped secure a halt to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid.
“We are influencing whether these ships are moving. We define whether the refineries are working,” he said.
Zelenskyy warned that continued disruption of maritime trade could cause food shortages in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East that receive Ukrainian agricultural exports.
“In two to three months, everybody will be talking about a crisis in agriculture because there will be food shortages for countries on the African continent, for some countries in Asia, in the Middle East, because we are exporting millions of tonnes of food to those markets, and now the sea is being blocked, and the United States is not feeling that,” he said.
