Washington, Oct 11 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said Kyiv supports the "energy ceasefire" announced by US President Donald Trump and was awaiting details from Washington, adding that Russia must also back the truce, which Moscow had yet to confirm.
"Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well. We are awaiting details from the American side," Zelensky wrote on X after speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
"For our part, Ukraine always fully supports steps toward de-escalation, the protection of lives, and the decisions needed to end the war and guarantee lasting peace," he said.
Trump had announced the truce on Truth Social about 80 minutes earlier.
"Effective immediately, there is an energy ceasefire in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it! Thank you for your attention to this matter," he wrote.
The White House repeated the announcement on X about 20 minutes later. "Effective Immediately: An energy ceasefire in the War between Russia and Ukraine," it posted.
Trump did not say when the truce was agreed, which facilities it covered, how long it would last or how it would be monitored.
The Kremlin had not publicly confirmed the arrangement by midday on Sunday.
Zelensky had initially said he had not been told. "The ceasefire announcement was news for me. But if Russians agree to an energy ceasefire, Ukraine will agree," he told Axios shortly after Trump's post.
A senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent that Kyiv had no information about the ceasefire and doubted that Russia had been informed.
Earlier on Sunday, Zelensky had offered a reciprocal halt. "Ukraine will be ready to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Russia stops striking our energy infrastructure," he said, according to the Associated Press.
The announcement came two days after Trump unveiled an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release Russian diesel into American and global markets, a move criticised by Ukraine, European officials and US lawmakers from both parties.
On Saturday, Trump blamed Zelensky for continuing drone attacks on Russian refineries and said Ukraine should "get a new leader who can make a deal".
This is not the first such announcement. Last month, Trump said on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to hit each other's energy targets. Axios reported that neither side confirmed a deal at the time, and both continued attacking energy infrastructure.
India has a direct stake in the outcome. New Delhi has proposed a three-part truce that would halt attacks on energy facilities and other infrastructure, keep grain and energy flowing through Black Sea ports and end strikes on commercial shipping, the Hindustan Times reported on October 7, citing people familiar with the proposal.
Black Sea ports account for almost 30 per cent of Russian energy flows to India, the newspaper said.
"India is trying to be helpful, starting with the Black Sea safety of shipping issue, addressing immediate concerns of Russia and Ukraine on grain and energy exports and non-attack possibilities," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on October 7.
There was no immediate reaction from New Delhi to Trump's announcement.
The diesel deal has also revived questions in the US over Washington's approach to India's purchases of Russian oil. It came less than a month after Trump signed legislation authorising tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India.
Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly struck each other's energy infrastructure since Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022.