Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Ukraine will respond if Russia refuses to honour an energy ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump. Speaking via video link at the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, October 12, Zelensky said Kyiv was prepared to support a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure, provided Moscow agreed to the same conditions. His statement came a day after Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate ceasefire covering energy-related targets, without providing detailed terms of the arrangement.

Trump announced the proposed ceasefire on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, October 11, declaring that both countries had agreed to stop attacks on energy infrastructure. However, the announcement caught Ukrainian officials by surprise, and Zelensky said Kyiv was still awaiting details of discussions between Washington and Moscow. Russia had not publicly confirmed its acceptance of the proposed arrangement at the time of Zelensky’s remarks, leaving uncertainty over whether the ceasefire would be implemented.

Zelensky stressed that any agreement must involve reciprocal commitments rather than requiring Ukraine to stop its attacks while Russian strikes continue. He said Ukraine would halt long-range attacks on Russian oil refineries and oil exports if Moscow stopped targeting Ukraine’s energy system and critical infrastructure. The Ukrainian president also called for concrete security guarantees, arguing that a ceasefire would need to produce a genuine reduction in hostilities rather than remain an announcement without practical effect.

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The warning followed reports of continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities despite Trump’s declaration. Zelensky referred to strikes affecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including a power and heating facility in Kharkiv. He also said Russian forces had targeted a gas production facility. The continued attacks raised questions about whether the proposed ceasefire was being observed and reinforced Kyiv’s position that any pause in strikes must apply to both sides.

Energy infrastructure has remained a major target throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russian attacks have damaged power generation and distribution facilities, contributing to electricity disruptions across Ukraine, while Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian oil facilities. With winter approaching, the possibility of further damage to energy infrastructure has increased concerns about electricity and heating supplies. Zelensky said Ukraine would support genuine de-escalation but would respond if Russia refused to reciprocate, as uncertainty continued over the proposed ceasefire’s terms and implementation.

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