U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 11th local time that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a truce regarding the energy sector.

However, questions have been raised over President Trump's announced truce as Russia continued its airstrikes, including an attack on a Ukrainian power plant, even after the announcement.

Writing on his social media platform Truth Social that day, President Trump stated, "An energy truce has been achieved in the war between Russia and Ukraine," adding that it takes effect immediately.

He went on to say, "Both sides have agreed," and urged, "Do not violate it."

President Trump's mention of an "energy truce" is interpreted as an agreement to halt attacks on energy facilities and similar infrastructure.

However, President Trump did not mention the specific scope or duration of the truce.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the U.S. online media outlet Axios, "This is the first I've heard of it," but added, "If Russia agrees to an energy truce, Ukraine will agree as well."

President Zelenskyy later stated on social media that "Ukraine supports a truce, and it is important that Russia supports it too," while noting that he is awaiting details from the U.S. side, according to Reuters.

In an evening video address that day, President Zelenskyy also stated that Russia continued its attacks on energy infrastructure, including a combined heat and power plant in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, even after President Trump's announcement.

Russia's official agreement to the truce has not yet been confirmed.


Russia and Ukraine have previously exchanged attacks targeting each other's energy infrastructure.

Russia launched large-scale missile and drone attacks targeting Ukrainian power plants and power grids on September 30 and October 7, causing blackouts in the capital city of Kyiv and other areas.

Ukraine has also used drones to attack Russian oil refineries, dealing a blow to Russia's energy supply.

Citing rising global energy prices, President Trump recently placed strong pressure on Ukraine to halt its attacks on Russian oil refineries.

However, Ukraine's stance is that it cannot unilaterally stop its attacks while Russia continues its assaults on Ukrainian energy facilities.

Amid these developments, President Trump announced on the 9th that he had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply large quantities of Russian diesel to the U.S. and global markets.

To facilitate this, some sanctions against Russia were also eased.

This was interpreted as a measure to counter rising energy prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November.

However, President Zelenskyy strongly criticized the so-called "diesel deal," calling it "like a birthday gift for Putin." In response, President Trump argued that President Zelenskyy had rejected opportunities to end the war, asserting that Ukraine needs new leadership to bring about a peace agreement.

President Trump's announcement of an energy truce between the two sides came immediately after tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine escalated over the issue of Russian diesel supplies.

With Ukraine expressing its support for a truce while Russian attacks on energy facilities continue, Russia's clear agreement and cessation of attacks are expected to be key to making the truce a reality.

Previously, the two countries agreed in March of last year, mediated by the U.S., to suspend attacks on energy facilities for 30 days, but attacks continued afterward, leading to mutual accusations of violating the agreement.

President Trump also stated on September 14 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to target each other's energy facilities, but both sides continued attacks targeting each other's energy infrastructure afterward.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)