Kremlin rejects Zelensky's 60-day truce as Trump's energy truce remains unconfirmed

Trump announces an energy truce

On Sunday, 11 October, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate halt to attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, and told both sides not to violate it. He gave no details of the arrangement. Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios that the announcement came as a surprise to authorities in Kyiv, but that Ukraine would accept an energy truce if Russia did the same and if Trump had in fact negotiated it with Vladimir Putin. The same day, Zelensky told ABC that Putin should give Ukraine a full 60-day truce so that it could organise presidential elections.

What the truce covers

A White House official told Axios that the energy truce referred to a possible deal in which both sides would stop attacking oil refineries. A step toward ending attacks on power plants and energy grids would follow only after refinery attacks stopped. A Ukrainian official told Axios that Ukraine has just one refinery, which Russia has attacked repeatedly and which is not fully operational, while Russia has an extensive refinery network. The White House official reportedly warned that Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries hurt Zelensky's relationship with Trump more than they hurt Russia. Spiegel reported that in the days before the announcement Trump had called for Zelensky to be replaced by a president who could end the war. Italian daily il Giornale reported that Trump also threatened to block the supply system that provides weapons to Ukraine.

Kremlin rejects the 60-day truce

On Monday, 12 October, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Zelensky's proposal for a 60-day ceasefire to allow elections in Ukraine. He told reporters that the Kremlin could not yet say anything about the energy truce that Trump had mentioned on Sunday, and that Moscow would inform the public once it had something to say. He added that if Kyiv really wanted elections, Putin would be ready to order no attacks on Ukraine on polling day.

We do not want a truce, we want lasting peace, and we are ready to do everything possible to achieve it.

Sergei Lavrov said Zelensky 'does not deserve' a truce for elections. He argued that Kyiv wanted a pause to 'regroup', during which European allies could supply new weapons, and said he did not think Russia would again fall for guarantees and promises. On Monday at the Warsaw Security Forum, Zelensky said Ukraine had agreed to the energy ceasefire announced by Trump and would support it. He said Ukraine was ready to hold elections if a 60-day ceasefire were in place, and that, with respect for Trump, the choice of leader belonged to the Ukrainian people.

Strikes continue

Kyiv authorities said Russian forces attacked a heating plant in the city of Kharkiv shortly after the truce announcement, killing three people and injuring several others. Another report said Russian forces struck a power plant in Kharkiv on the evening of 11 October and then continued attacks on energy infrastructure in several regions of Ukraine. Zelensky said:

This week alone, the Russians have carried out more than 200 attacks on power generation and supply facilities in Ukraine.

Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russian refineries and oil and gas production sites, aiming to cut off a key source of Kremlin war financing. N-tv reported that these strikes caused a sharp fuel shortage in Russia, a diesel export ban in the summer, queues at petrol stations and rationing.

Diesel deal and oil prices

Deutsche Welle reported a diesel supply agreement reached between Moscow and Washington, while the Kremlin did not confirm the energy truce. Zelensky said the diesel deal only fuels Putin. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the deal was good for Americans and that the United States would use all available legal powers to implement it. Former vice president Mike Pence urged the administration to rescind it immediately and to sanction any country buying Russian energy. Nebraska Republican congressman Don Bacon said lower diesel prices for farmers and consumers were needed, but that buying diesel from Russia was the wrong answer.

Brent crude fell as much as 2.0% early on Monday, then rose 1.0% to 106.21 USD, its highest level since 16 September. Reports from Russia unsettled the market, along with fears of escalation in the Middle East, where an attack on an airport in the Saudi capital on Sunday killed 12 people and wounded more than 300. Further attacks on tankers were reported in the same period.