Donald Trump has announced an immediate energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, in a further shift in Washington’s approach to Russian fuel as soaring diesel prices put pressure on the US president ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Mr Trump said the two countries had agreed to stop attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure, but offered no details. “Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” he wrote on Truth Social.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the arrangement was “news to me”, although he welcomed the announcement. He said Russian drones continued to target Ukrainian energy facilities, including a power plant in Kharkiv, after Mr Trump’s statement.
“We are waiting for the details of the conditions between the Americans and Russians,” the Ukrainian president said in a video address to a security conference in Warsaw. He added that the truce could become a major step towards ending the war if the US ensured that Russia respected it.
Energy ceasefire comes amid pressure on global fuel supplies
Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian oil refineries, arguing that energy revenues help fund Moscow’s war effort. Russia has, in turn, targeted Ukraine’s electricity and heating infrastructure during the four-year conflict.
The latest announcement follows Mr Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian fuel, as the war involving the US and Iran and strikes on energy facilities disrupted oil supplies. The president has also urged Ukraine not to attack Russian oil installations while Moscow remains a major diesel exporter.
Brent crude fell to about 103.04 dollars a barrel on Monday after the ceasefire announcement and a separate Russian diesel agreement. US West Texas Intermediate crude traded at about 90.96 dollars.
Prices nevertheless remain elevated amid disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies passes. Attacks on Saudi oil installations and airports by Yemen’s Houthis, as well as fighting around the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait, have added to pressure on the market.
Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries have also contributed to diesel shortages, affecting the agriculture and road haulage industries. The Group of Seven nations agreed last week to release 100 million barrels of emergency oil and diesel reserves after pressure from Mr Trump.
Trump’s changing policy towards Russian oil
The Trump administration’s latest moves follow a series of reversals in US policy towards Russian energy. In March, Washington issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil stranded at sea, after disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz threatened global supplies.
A week later, the exemption was expanded to allow countries around the world to purchase sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded on to tankers. In September, Mr Trump called on Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries, blaming the strikes for global diesel shortages.
On October 9, he announced an agreement with Vladimir Putin under which Russia would release more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately, followed by a further 1.5 million tonnes. The arrangement is due to run until April 2027.
The moves have drawn criticism from US politicians and European allies, who warn that allowing Russian fuel back into global markets could provide Moscow with revenue to finance its war in Ukraine.
Under Joe Biden, the US banned Russian oil and energy imports in March 2022, while backing a G7 price cap intended to restrict the Kremlin’s earnings without removing too much supply from global markets. The Biden administration also accepted India’s continued purchases of Russian crude to limit the effect on global prices.
After returning to power, Mr Trump initially increased pressure on Moscow. His administration imposed additional tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil in August 2025, and later sanctioned Russian energy companies Rosneft and Lukoil, accusing Moscow of failing to pursue peace negotiations seriously.
Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, said Mr Trump was caught between his geopolitical ambitions and the domestic political consequences of expensive energy. She said cheaper diesel could help hauliers, farmers and manufacturers, although continuing disruption in the Middle East meant the extra Russian supplies were unlikely to make a significant difference.
US diesel prices reached a record 6.52 dollars per gallon in September, increasing political pressure on the Republican Party. Ms Streeter said a genuine ceasefire could protect supplies and ease some pressure, but warned that it was too soon to describe the announcement as a diplomatic breakthrough.
Academic Alexey Muriaev also urged caution, questioning what the agreement covered and whether a deal had been reached in the form described by Mr Trump. He suggested the timing could allow the president to claim progress on energy prices before the midterm elections.
He said Moscow also had an interest in helping Mr Trump retain political influence because his administration appeared more willing to negotiate with Russia than Mr Biden’s. Frequent changes to sanctions, meanwhile, could leave companies uncertain about sourcing, compliance and long-term supply-chain decisions.
