Stop hitting the lights, or we will respond: Zelensky comments on Trump's "energy truce"

Ukraine supports halting attacks on energy infrastructure, but if Russia does not agree, retaliatory strikes will continue.

Зеленський пояснив, чому "енергетичне перемир'я" має захищати електростанції, а не тільки НПЗ

12 October, 12:47

While Donald Trump writes on social media about an "energy truce," Russian "Shaheds" continue to fly toward Ukrainian power plants. Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine supports the idea of stopping strikes on energy infrastructure, but on fair terms. He made this statement in an address to the Warsaw Security Forum, the President of Ukraine said, reports UP.

Zelensky emphasized: Russia must stop destroying Ukraine's critical infrastructure if it wants to keep its oil refineries safe from Ukrainian drones.

According to the head of state, the American team has already been thoroughly briefed on the specifics of Ukraine's energy system.

"We in Ukraine immediately supported this idea, as we have done many times over the past months, when we ourselves put forward the initiative of an energy truce. The American team understands very well what this means for us. We do not have significant oil reserves or dozens of refineries — we import large volumes of diesel and other oil products," Volodymyr Zelensky stressed.

"Shaheds" operate on different instructions

The President recalled the latest massive Russian strikes on electricity facilities, which took place after U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social about the so-called "energy truce."

Zelensky noted that the statement announced by Trump was news to him, and that the reality at the front and in the rear shows Moscow is ignoring these calls.

"It has become obvious that Putin does not read Truth Social, and his "Shahed" drones operate on different instructions. But this post actually concerns something that affects the lives of millions of people, and that is what makes it very important," the President emphasized.

He added that if Russia does not agree to a genuine energy truce this winter, Ukraine will deliver a symmetrical response.

Ukraine's conditions: symmetry and fairness

Volodymyr Zelensky noted that due to Russian attacks, power outages occur daily in Ukraine, while Ukrainian retaliatory strikes on Russia's oil infrastructure are painful for it.

"If Russia wants us to stop our long-range strikes on its oil refineries and oil exports, it must stop its strikes on our energy system and critical infrastructure and stop killing our people. This is fair," the head of state concluded.

As a reminder, the day before, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social the alleged achievement of an "energy truce in the war between Russia and Ukraine".

The White House later clarified that, in Donald Trump's understanding, such a truce primarily involves halting mutual strikes on oil refineries.