On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed a ceasefire on strikes on energy infrastructure "effective immediately". Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky suggested it was "news for me", while Russia has not commented publicly. Donald Trump says an energy ceasefire has been agreed.
It is willing to sign up – if Russia does. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked whether such a ceasefire had been agreed during his daily conference call with journalists. "Contacts are continuing," Peskov replied.
"As soon as we have anything to say about this, we will definitely inform you." Peskov may not have had much to say on the matter, but the pro-Kremlin media has. It has dubbed President Trump's announcement of an energy ceasefire "a gift" for Moscow. "Of course we benefit," pro-government news outlet Moskovsky Komsomolets concluded.
"It means that all Russia has to do is not destroy Ukraine's last remaining oil refinery. "That has already been attacked several times. It's barely functioning anyway.
"But Kyiv won't be allowed to hit the multitude of refineries we have. "In effect it's a one-way deal that benefits us. That's why no one here has officially rejected it." In other words, Moscow believes Trump's announcement ties Ukraine's hands, not Russia's.
In recent months, long-range Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil facilities have caused extensive damage, as well as fuel shortages across the country. Should such attacks continue, expect the Russians to claim that Kyiv is harming US economic interests – as well as the Republican Party's chances in the midterm elections in November. Russian officials will argue that the strikes undermine the recent Trump-Putin fuel deal for the US to import Russian diesel.
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