Workers try to repair parts of the Darnytska power plant in Kyiv after a Russian attack, on Feb. 4, 2026.Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Trump says Ukraine and Russia agreed to halt strikes on energy. Zelenskyy is not so sure. – POLITICO

14 Sep 2026, 17:52 by Veronika Melkozerova · POLITICO

KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has poured cold water on his American counterpart Donald Trump's claim that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to halt strikes on each other's energy infrastructure.

Trump over the weekend blamed Kyiv’s strikes on Moscow’s refineries — not the U.S.-Israel war on Iran — for high diesel prices, then on Monday said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt attacks on energy targets.

Ukraine, though, is skeptical. Russia has been barraging Ukraine’s ports, energy grid, fuel stations, and logistics with dozens of jet-powered drones and missiles for several years. The attacks, as well as Ukrainian counterstrikes on Russian infrastructure, have escalated in recent weeks.