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Kyiv Pauses Energy Strikes—Zelenskyy Says Putin Ignored Trump’s Ceasefire Initiative
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of continuing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an immediate energy ceasefire, Fox News reported on October 12.
“We are ready today for energy ceasefire, as President Trump said. But I’m not sure that Putin is ready because even after yesterday’s messages from the president about energy ceasefire, Putin attacked our gas infrastructure,” Zelenskyy told Fox News.
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Asked whether Ukraine would honor the ceasefire, Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv had already refrained from striking Russian energy facilities overnight.
“We didn’t attack any energy objects on the territory of Russia because President Trump said that there will be an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia,” he stated. “And we didn’t attack, but Russia attacked our gas stations, energy infrastructure, infrastructure and other things.”
Fox News noted that Trump announced on October 11 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate halt to attacks on energy facilities. Moscow, however, had not confirmed accepting the agreement, while Axios reported that Russia had not yet agreed to the initial US proposal.
Zelenskyy described the continued Russian strikes as Moscow’s response to Trump’s initiative.
“It was his answer to President Trump. He attacked our energy infrastructure,” Zelenskyy stated. “The communication from Russia was very clear that they don’t know anything about energy ceasefire.”
The Ukrainian president also rejected the idea of limiting a ceasefire only to Russian oil refineries, arguing that any agreement must also protect Ukraine’s power infrastructure.
“When we speak about energy ceasefire, it means only one thing: that they don’t attack our energy infrastructure, and we don’t respond to their energy infrastructure,” Zelenskyy told Fox News.
“If Russia will not attack our energy, we will not attack the energy,” he added.
A day earlier, Zelenskyy had stated that Ukraine was prepared to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries only if Moscow ended attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Trump has also criticized Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, arguing that they contribute to higher fuel prices. On October 9, he announced an agreement with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, for Russia to supply diesel to US and international markets.
Zelenskyy disputed Trump’s assessment, arguing that diesel prices were instead being driven by disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Everybody understands that the price on diesel doesn’t depend on our attacks on diesel in Russia,” he stated. “Everybody understands that it depends on the blocking of Hormuz Strait.”
Fox News also reported that Zelenskyy addressed Trump’s calls for Ukraine to hold a new presidential election.
“If President Trump wants to change the leader in Ukraine, he has to know that only our people can change,” Zelenskyy stated.
He reiterated that he was prepared to hold elections but argued that Ukraine would need at least 60 days without fighting to prepare safely.
“I’m ready for elections. Really, we need a minimum 60 days for security of infrastructure to prepare for elections,” Zelenskyy stated.
The Kremlin previously rejected Zelenskyy’s proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, while separately declining to provide details about Trump’s announced energy truce.
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