Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Monday, October 12, 2026, that Russia has continued to strike energy facilities despite an "energy ceasefire" announced by President Donald Trump the previous day. Zelenskyy reported that Russia hit a power plant in eastern Ukraine just hours after the announcement, followed by attacks on six additional facilities by Monday afternoon.
The announcement by President Trump follows several previous attempts over the last year to broker moratoriums on energy infrastructure strikes. In January 2026, a similar agreement reportedly failed after four days, and a September proposal also resulted in continued attacks. Zelenskyy previously expressed willingness to participate in such a moratorium but questioned if Russia would reciprocate.
When asked about reports of ceasefire violations on Monday, President Trump said he was "not sure about that" and would "take a look." He stated that "there's been violations on both sides" and expressed his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin "wants to make a deal more than Zelenskyy." Trump emphasized that both leaders must "get together and end that ridiculous war."
For European allies and the Ukrainian government, the situation involves direct pressure from the Trump administration. Officials told CBS News that the U.S. has threatened to halt intelligence sharing and block the purchase of U.S.-made weapons through the PURL procurement system unless Ukraine stops deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. A Ukrainian official said this would directly affect the acquisition of Patriot air defense missiles, which are used to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.
The U.S. policy shift includes a recent deal allowing Russia to sell diesel to U.S. and global markets to address high energy prices. Zelenskyy maintains that for de-escalation to succeed, the U.S. must increase pressure on Russia rather than Ukraine. The next steps depend on whether the White House verifies the reported violations. No specific dates for future negotiations between Putin and Zelenskyy have been set.