Zelensky counters Trump and says Ukraine will only stop attacks if Russia does the same

Ukraine is ready to stop bombing Russian oil refineries if Russia also stops its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday (11).

The statement was a response to US President Donald Trump, who harshly criticized him a day earlier and demanded that Kiev unilaterally halt its attacks.

Shortly before, the Ukrainian president reacted angrily to Trump's announcement of a diesel supply deal with Russia, which he said encourages Moscow's attacks on Ukraine.

"The real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone. It is possible to stop attacks on energy infrastructure today, but Putin does not want to do that," said Zelensky, without making specific reference to Trump's statements and adding that any such agreement would need to be accompanied by "real guarantees."

Zelenskiy also announced that on Sunday he will continue discussions with European leaders and that there have been daily talks about additional air defense packages, including ammunition for combat aircraft used to shoot down Russian jet-powered drones.

On the streets of Kiev, several residents who spoke to Reuters news agency expressed outrage at Trump's suggestion that Ukraine should find a new leader willing to make a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Nobody has the right to tell us what to do, especially since elections cannot be held in times of war. In my opinion, this is a betrayal on the part of our partners," said Sabina, a 40-year-old primary school teacher, referring to Ukraine's ban on elections under "martial law" for security reasons.

Russia and Ukraine have recently intensified attacks on power generation facilities, transportation networks and other strategic points of energy infrastructure — an important sector for the global economy and one that worries the American president.

The deal announced by Trump authorizes Russia to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel to the American and global markets.

The decision surprised the Ukrainian delegation, as officials from Kiev and European countries were meeting with American negotiators in Miami to discuss peace without having been informed about the negotiations involving the fuel.

To enable the Russian product to enter the international market, the United States Treasury Department issued a temporary exemption from sanctions, valid until April 2027. In response, the Russian government confirmed the partial suspension of the diesel export ban, with immediate effect.

“Production volumes are sufficient to fully meet domestic demand and exports to the global market in the specified volumes,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in a statement.

Energy sector analysts, however, project that the measure will have a reduced impact on prices paid by end consumers. The logic is that the release only redistributes diesel on the global market, without significantly changing the total volume available.

A few hours after confirmation of sanctions relief, Russia carried out new airstrikes on Ukrainian territory.

Zelensky reacted to the attacks by saying that Moscow was “thankful” for the lifting of sanctions by intensifying bombings against civilians. The Ukrainian president stressed that Russia interprets any decline in international pressure as authorization to continue attacking cities in the country.

Russian attacks also hit the capital, Kiev, and caused metro trains to stop due to cuts in electricity supplies. Meanwhile, negotiations to end the war continue to be held up by Russia's demand for control over the Donetsk region.

Kiev reiterated that it agreed to suspend attacks on Russian infrastructure only if Moscow stops bombings of the Ukrainian energy grid. Amid the exchange of accusations and the intensification of hostilities, there is no immediate prospect of resuming direct negotiations between the parties.