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Donald Trump sowed confusion on Sunday by announcing an "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia, which caused bewilderment in Kyiv and silence from Moscow, while London, Paris, and Ottawa stated they support this "call" from the U.S. president.
Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has intensified its attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent months, while Kyiv targets Moscow's oil refineries.
"As of now, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have reached an agreement. Do not break it!", Trump wrote on Sunday on his Truth Social platform.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, apparently caught by surprise, told the U.S. media outlet Axios that he had no knowledge of such an agreement, while Moscow has not commented at this time.
"The announcement of the truce was news to me", Zelenskyy declared, although he said he was willing to accept it if Russia did the same.
"We are waiting for clear details on the dialogue between the United States and Russia. And for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to do what President Trump has said", he affirmed in his daily address.
- Attacks continue -
According to Zelenskyy, Russian attacks continued on Sunday "with the same intensity" despite Trump's announcement.
"The Russians bombed an energy plant in Kyiv", he said on social media. He also noted that attacks were recorded at other energy facilities in the eastern region of Kharkiv.
"And all of this happened AFTER the President of the United States made his statement about an energy ceasefire", he pointed out.
Widespread power outages affected several neighborhoods in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday, and there will be supply restrictions in several regions of the country on Monday due to Russian attacks, announced the national operator Ukrenergo.
Three people died in Russian attacks in Kharkiv, according to the regional government.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Paris supports "without reservation the call for a real energy truce".
But "Russia continues to reject it, even intensifying its attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure in these last few hours", he observed.
For his part, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated on Sunday that his country supports a sustained "energy ceasefire" in the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also said he expressed his firm support for an "energy truce" during a call with Trump. Furthermore, he reiterated Zelenskyy's demand that "all attacks against energy infrastructure and civilians" by Russia "cease immediately".
- "We decide" -
Ukrainian attacks against Russian refineries, which Kyiv describes as fair retaliation for Moscow's bombardments, have outraged Trump, who on Friday made an announcement regarding the purchase of Russian diesel, accompanied by a relaxation of U.S. sanctions on Moscow.
Seven United States senators questioned the legality of the agreement between Washington and Moscow on the supply of that fuel this Sunday.
"Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022", says the senators' joint statement.
Following the rise in fuel prices in the United States since the beginning of the war against Iran at the end of February, the Russian diesel pact is seen as a way to provide relief to U.S. consumers ahead of the legislative elections in November, when Trump's Republican party runs the risk of losing control of Congress.
Trump lashed out again on Saturday against his Ukrainian counterpart and demanded elections, which is impossible in the current situation given that martial law is in effect.
"With all due respect to President Trump, it is up to our society, to our people, to choose this or that leader", responded Zelenskyy in an interview aired Sunday on the ABC network.
Zelenskyy has said several times that Ukraine could organize elections in the event of a long-term ceasefire with Moscow.
"Tell Putin to grant us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organize elections", he declared Sunday to the ABC network.
Russia has rejected this idea on several occasions, arguing that a long pause would allow the Ukrainian army to reinforce itself.
[Publicidad]