A proposal put forward by Trump on Sunday — framed as an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine — caught Kyiv off guard, drew no public comment from Moscow, and received statements of support from Ukraine's Western allies.
Zelensky reported that Russian strikes on Sunday hit power infrastructure at multiple locations across Ukraine, including facilities in Kyiv and Kharkiv, leaving parts of both cities without electricity. Zelensky also reported that power stations across Ukraine had been struck and that Shahed-type drones — a model of Iranian origin now deployed at scale by Russian forces — had been active over the country's airspace throughout the day.
Two days after easing US sanctions on Russian diesel fuel on a temporary basis — a move that drew objections from European allies and Ukrainian officials, who argued it would give Putin's government greater latitude to press on — Trump posted on Truth Social early Sunday to announce what he described as an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, stating that both parties had agreed to the arrangement.
Zelensky indicated he had not been briefed on the announcement in advance and was seeking further information, though he stated that Ukraine backed the ceasefire and called on Russia to do the same — a position Moscow had yet to formally confirm.
From the time its ground offensive against Ukraine began in 2022, Russia has repeatedly targeted the country's power and heating networks, with Kyiv attributing strikes on Russian oil refineries to the need to disrupt what it describes as a source of war financing.
A number of Western governments — among them the UK, France, Canada, and the European Commission — indicated backing for the ceasefire on Sunday, with several of their leaders calling on Russia to abide by its terms. A contrast had emerged by that point in the week, with backing for the arrangement sitting on one side and the pushback against the US-Russia diesel deal on the other.
Zelensky characterised the fuel agreement as inadequate, a view shared by a number of Ukraine's European partners, who also announced plans to intensify diplomatic pressure on Moscow. A joint statement put out on Sunday by seven members of the Senate — among them four who caucus with Republicans — characterised the diesel arrangement with Russia as a violation of the law.
On Sunday, following a phone call with Zelensky, Prime Minister Mark Carney described the diesel agreement as running counter to the efforts of Ukraine, Canada, and allied nations to bring about peace and stability in Europe, while Trump, responding to that criticism the previous day, stated that Ukraine needed a new leader willing to bring the conflict to an end.
Zelensky countered publicly, telling a broadcaster that the decision over leadership belonged to Ukrainian society, and called on Putin to allow 60 days of complete ceasefire — two full months, he specified — within which elections would be organised.
On Sunday, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul indicated that Berlin's backing for Zelensky remained in place, with Wadephul stating in a separate remark that Ukraine and its government would continue to have European support, which he tied to the broader goal of stability on the continent. Von der Leyen, the EU's executive chief, expressed backing for the Ukrainian president in his effort to defend his country's people, while UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham aligned himself with Trump's call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire on energy.
