US President Donald Trump said he is “not sure” that Russia violated the energy truce he announced. He added that there had been violations on both sides.
Speaking to journalists on 12 October, he said that Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin must “come together and put an end to this terrible war”. When a reporter noted that both Ukraine and Russia had denied any agreement on an energy truce, the US president said there was such a deal because he said so.
“They agreed. Do you know why? Because I said: ‘You agreed.’ That’s why,” he said.
He called the war a catastrophe that must be brought to an end.
Context
At the end of last week, the US president again sharpened his rhetoric towards Ukraine and began demanding a presidential election. Earlier, he said he had agreed with Putin on supplies of millions of tonnes of Russian diesel and eased oil sanctions against Russia for several months. He made the decision against the backdrop of approaching midterm elections and a global energy crisis that began after Iran’s attacks on oil refineries in the Gulf states.
Ukraine and European leaders criticised the deal with the Russians, as it gave the aggressor more opportunities to earn money to wage the war.
On 11 October, Trump wrote on social media that an energy truce had been established between Ukraine and Russia. Kyiv and Moscow did not announce any such agreements. The Ukrainian authorities immediately said they would agree to a ceasefire if Russia stopped striking energy infrastructure. However, immediately after Trump’s statement, the Russians shelled a power station in Kharkiv and then continued attacking other energy facilities, including gas infrastructure.
The American press wrote that Trump likely meant a ceasefire only covering oil refineries. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that a ceasefire agreement limited to oil refineries is not equivalent. Ukraine has only one such plant, which has long since suffered serious damage as a result of strikes. Russia has a significant number of such plants and earns money precisely thanks to them. For Ukraine, it is important that all of its energy infrastructure is not attacked.