The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated this Monday (12) that Russia continued to attack Ukrainian energy facilities even after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced a ceasefire between the two countries to stop bombings against energy infrastructure.
The announcement was made by Trump on Sunday (11), in a post on social media. According to the American president, Russia and Ukraine had agreed to immediately suspend attacks on each other's energy facilities. He, however, did not provide details about the alleged agreement.
This Monday, the Kremlin stated that contacts regarding the ceasefire proposal remain ongoing and that it will release information in due course. The Russian government has not confirmed the existence of an agreement and refused to clarify whether the possible truce would be restricted to attacks on oil refineries.
During his participation in the Warsaw Security Forum, Poland, Zelensky said that the Ukrainian government learned about Trump's announcement through the press and that he had not received confirmation from Moscow about the suspension of the attacks.
The president stated that Ukraine is willing to respect an energy ceasefire, as long as Russia does the same.
"We support the proposal, but I have not heard any approval from Russia," he declared.
According to Zelensky, after Trump's publication, Russian forces struck a power plant in Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, as well as a gas production facility and a gas station.
"It's clear that Putin doesn't read Truth Social," joked the Ukrainian president, referring to the social network used by Trump to announce the supposed agreement.
Russia has not yet presented a definitive response to the American proposal.
The suspension of attacks on the energy sector is one of the points discussed in negotiations to try to end the war, which began with the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Throughout the conflict, Russia has bombed facilities responsible for providing electricity, heating and water in Ukraine. The attacks especially harm the civilian population during winter, when temperatures drop drastically.
Ukraine, in turn, has attacked Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities, including in regions far from the border.
Zelensky said on Monday that Kiev is willing to stop attacks on Russian refineries if Moscow suspends bombings of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The president also asked Trump to pressure Vladimir Putin's government to comply with the proposal.
According to Zelensky, a truce in this sector could represent a first step towards ending the war. He warned, however, that Ukraine will continue to respond militarily if Russian attacks persist.
It is not the first time that Trump has announced a similar understanding. On September 14, the American president stated that the two countries had agreed not to attack each other's energy facilities. The statement was also not accompanied by details, and the bombings continued.
The European Union's head of diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday that there are still no signs that Moscow is willing to comply with a possible ceasefire.
During a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Kallas said that a truce should cover not only energy infrastructure, but also attacks against the population.
The discussion takes place amid new tensions between Washington and Kiev.
On Friday (9), Trump announced an agreement with Putin to allow the import of Russian diesel, in an attempt to reduce fuel prices before the US legislative elections in November.
The measure provoked criticism from European authorities and American parliamentarians. A group of six United States senators, including four Republicans, asked the government to reverse the agreement, arguing that the purchase of fuel could increase the financial resources available to Russia during the war.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna also questioned the effects of the measure on international prices and stated that he believed the decision was more related to the internal political situation in the United States.
While negotiations continue, new bombings have been reported in Ukraine.
A Russian drone attack on the village of Pisochyn, in the Kharkiv region, left three dead and nine injured, including children, on Sunday night (11), according to the regional prosecutor's office.
According to investigators, the equipment hit a densely populated area, close to residential buildings and supermarkets, and caused a fire.
In Kiev, two people were injured during air strikes this Monday. Debris of Russian equipment caused a fire in a residence in the Darnytskyi district, according to the capital's military administration.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported shooting down or neutralizing 89 of the 121 drones launched by Russia overnight. The launch of a guided missile was also identified. There were records of attacks in 15 locations across the country.
On the Russian side, the Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted 151 Ukrainian drones overnight, over regions of Russia, Crimea annexed by Moscow and the Black Sea.
The Russian government also claimed to have attacked Ukrainian port facilities and a cargo ship that, according to Moscow, was transporting military material towards the port of Odessa. The parties' information about the attacks could not be independently verified.
The differences between Trump and Zelensky also involve the holding of presidential elections in Ukraine.
On Saturday (10), the American president stated that the country should have a new leader and criticized Zelensky for, according to him, not doing enough to end the war.
In response, the Ukrainian president said on Monday that holding elections is unfeasible while the country faces Russian attacks during the day and night.
Zelensky said, however, that he would be willing to work to facilitate a vote if Ukraine achieved a complete ceasefire lasting at least 60 days.
Ukrainian legislation prevents national elections from being held during martial law, which has been in force since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
According to Zelensky, a possible suspension of the fighting would allow discussing with Parliament the conditions necessary to organize the electoral process.
