Trump claims energy ceasefire as Ukraine reports new strikes and Zelensky sets election terms

President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine had agreed an energy ceasefire effective immediately. He wrote that both parties had agreed and warned them not to break it. The post gave no details, and there was no immediate confirmation from Moscow or Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the announcement was news to him, but added that Ukraine would accept an energy ceasefire if Russia did the same and asked the US to say when it would begin.

Speaking to ABC, Zelensky went further. He said that if Vladimir Putin agrees to a 60-day total ceasefire, he will organise elections in Ukraine. He was responding to Trump's remarks that Ukraine should get a new president. Trump had accused Zelensky of prolonging the war and of refusing to end it. He also blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for rising fuel prices, after the US struck a deal with Moscow to buy Russian diesel. The deal would release millions of tonnes of Russian fuel into global markets, with one report saying nearly 2 million tonnes could flow to the US before Christmas.

The US move, which lifts restrictions on Russian diesel, was aimed at lowering pump prices before midterm elections. Diesel and gasoline prices have more than doubled since the US went to war with Iran earlier this year, according to US reporting. The diesel deal drew criticism from Ukraine, which called it a betrayal and a birthday present for Putin, and from UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, who said Britain does not support it and stands with Ukraine and Zelensky. A bipartisan group of US senators said the deal ran counter to a law banning Russian energy imports and urged Trump to reverse it. There were also suggestions Congress could block it.

Zelensky's offer on elections was conditional, and early reaction was sceptical. A Ukrainian MP, Kira Rudik, said Russia had attacked Kyiv's energy infrastructure about an hour after Trump's post, leaving her without running water and threatening supplies across the city. She said Ukrainians had heard promises before and had little reason to trust Moscow. Russia's foreign minister said Ukraine, which has hit Russian refining capacity, did not deserve a ceasefire. The Kremlin did not comment officially. In Kharkiv, drones and missiles continued to hit homes and a power station, injuring people and leaving the city facing another winter with power cuts.

Analysts said holding elections in Ukraine would be very difficult. Martial law is in place, many Ukrainians are abroad because of the war, and Russia has violated temporary ceasefires before. One think tank expert said Trump's attacks on Zelensky could actually boost his popularity at home, as Ukrainians rallied behind him after previous clashes with Washington. UK ministers tried to play peacemaker, saying public disagreements between Washington and Kyiv were not new and that Britain would keep backing Ukraine.

The energy ceasefire remains unconfirmed and untested. A similar arrangement was announced earlier and failed. The immediate question is whether Russia will stop hitting Ukraine's grid and whether Ukraine will stop hitting Russian refineries that supply the diesel deal. For Moscow, a halt would help it deliver fuel to the US. For Kyiv, a pause could buy time to repair power stations before winter, but it also risks freezing a conflict that has left it dependent on uncertain Western support. With US midterm elections weeks away, Trump has strong domestic reasons to announce a breakthrough. Ukrainians, facing another night of alerts and blackouts, are waiting to see if the deal becomes real.