US President Donald Trump said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is more eager for a peace deal than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of continuing attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities despite a proposed US-backed ceasefire.
Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s power grid and Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil refineries have complicated efforts to halt energy infrastructure attacks.
US President Donald Trump said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is more eager to reach a peace deal than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as Kyiv accused Moscow of continuing attacks on critical energy infrastructure despite a proposed US-backed ceasefire.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said Washington needed to persuade Zelenskyy to agree to a deal, while expressing his belief that Putin was ready to negotiate. His remarks came amid uncertainty over whether Russia and Ukraine would halt attacks on each other’s energy facilities as part of broader efforts to end the war.
Asked how he planned to ensure Putin respected the proposed ceasefire, Trump said, “I think what’s happening is he wants to make a deal and we have to get Zelenskyy to want to make a deal. I think Putin wants to make a deal more than Zelenskyy.”
When asked about reports that Russia had already violated the proposed truce, Trump said he was unsure and would examine the claims.
“I’m not sure about that, and we’ll take a look. But all I know is that Zelenskyy and Putin have to get together and end that ridiculous war,” he said, adding that there had been “violations on both sides”.
Zelenskyy Accuses Russia Of Violating Energy Ceasefire
Zelenskyy disputed the effectiveness of the proposed truce, saying Russian forces continued to target Ukrainian energy facilities despite Washington’s announcement.
“Ukraine is ready to guarantee the energy ceasefire, as announced by the American President, and Russia must take corresponding steps,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
“As of now, there is no indication that Russia is complying with the conditions outlined by the American President,” he added.
According to CBS News, Ukraine said Russian forces struck a power plant in eastern Ukraine just hours after the ceasefire announcement. By Monday afternoon, Kyiv had reported attacks on six additional energy facilities.
Trump has repeatedly sought agreements to halt attacks on energy infrastructure over the past year, but previous efforts have either failed to materialise or been followed by renewed strikes.
In January, Russia bombed power and heating plants in Kyiv four days after Trump said Putin had promised not to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure for a week. In September, Trump said Putin and Zelenskyy had agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy facilities, but neither side had halted the strikes.
CBS News also reported that US officials had warned Ukraine against continuing deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. European and Ukrainian officials cited by the broadcaster said Washington had threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and restrict weapons procurement through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme if Kyiv ignored the proposed ceasefire.
Russian Strikes Hit Ukraine’s Power Grid As Kyiv Targets Oil Refineries
Energy infrastructure remains central to the conflict because attacks can disrupt electricity supplies, heating and fuel production, affecting both countries’ economies and military operations.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power grid, causing electricity shortages and heating disruptions as the country prepares for winter. Ukraine, meanwhile, has focused many of its long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries and fuel infrastructure.
According to the International Energy Agency, Ukrainian strikes have reduced Russian diesel production by about 30% in 2026 and pushed oil refining to its lowest level in two decades.
Alexander Kolyandr of Eurasia Group told CBS News that Ukrainian attacks were creating economic pressure on Russia but did not threaten the country’s overall stability. Russian strikes, he said, caused greater relative damage because Ukraine’s economy was considerably smaller.
The competing attacks on energy infrastructure have complicated efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire, with Washington seeking to persuade both sides to halt strikes while Kyiv maintains that any truce must be honoured by Moscow.
