Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Oct. 12 that Ukraine was prepared to observe an energy ceasefire, while accusing Russia of attacking Ukrainian energy facilities after President Donald Trump announced an immediate halt to such strikes.
Speaking to Fox News, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had not targeted Russian energy sites overnight and would refrain from doing so if Russia stopped attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He described the truce as reciprocal. The source reports that Moscow had not confirmed it accepted Trump’s proposal, and that the proposal’s scope was uncertain.
Zelenskyy argued that a pause limited to oil refineries would not adequately protect Ukraine’s electricity supply. He also disputed Trump’s claim that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries were driving diesel prices, attributing price pressures instead to disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.
The interview also addressed Trump’s calls for new Ukrainian elections. Zelenskyy said he was willing to hold a vote but would need at least 60 days to prepare and ensure security. He cited ongoing missile and drone attacks as a threat to voters. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected a 60-day ceasefire for elections, according to the source.
Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Washington said Russian forces had struck power facilities and reported more than 200 attacks on electricity generation and transmission sites over the preceding week. Reuters separately reported continued Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy targets. Some casualty and damage claims in the source were attributed to news agencies and were not independently confirmed.
The article also presents contrasting assessments of Trump’s approach from two former U.S. officials: one criticized a diesel arrangement with Russia as potentially weakening pressure on Moscow, while another defended negotiations and a ceasefire effort. Zelenskyy’s account of attacks and casualty estimates, as well as reported damage figures, should be understood as attributed claims rather than independently verified findings.
