Donald Trump is insisting that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure. However, neither country publicly confirmed a formal agreement when the president made the claim. Trump doubled down when reporters questioned whether an actual ceasefire existed, saying the two countries agreed because he told them they had.
Donald Trump made a bizarre claim about a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire despite neither country publicly confirming an agreement
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump defended his Russia-Ukraine ceasefire announcement after a journalist asked whether Moscow and Kyiv had actually accepted the arrangement.
“They agreed because I said they agreed,” Trump said, according to Anadolu Agency. He also maintained that both sides supported the idea and said his administration would push them toward a broader peace agreement.
Trump had announced the proposed energy ceasefire on Truth Social a day earlier, saying it would take effect immediately. However, he offered no details about enforcement or monitoring. At the time, neither Moscow nor Kyiv had publicly confirmed matching terms.
The situation became more complicated when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces continued striking Ukrainian energy facilities after Trump’s announcement. Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to stop targeting Russian refineries if Moscow also halted attacks on Ukraine’s energy network.
When reporters asked Trump about the continued Russian attacks, he said he was “not sure” whether Moscow had violated the proposed truce. The president nevertheless maintained that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky supported a deal.
The Kremlin later said discussions surrounding the proposed energy ceasefire were still ongoing, suggesting the arrangement had not yet been finalized when Trump described it as already agreed.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire dispute comes as Trump also faces bipartisan backlash over a Russian diesel agreement, which temporarily eased restrictions on Russian fuel exports.
For now, Donald Trump continues to describe a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire as an agreement, while public statements from both countries show that its precise terms and status remain unsettled.
