US President Donald Trump said on September 14 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt mutual strikes on energy infrastructure. However, Washington’s statement has not yet received full confirmation from either Moscow or Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed only that Ukraine is ready to stop such attacks provided that international partners can ensure a genuine halt to Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure.

 

US President Donald Trump announced what could represent a potentially important change in the nature of the Russia-Ukraine war. According to Trump, Kyiv and Moscow have agreed to refrain from striking each other’s energy facilities.

The statement came amid growing tensions in global fuel markets. Trump has linked rising diesel prices primarily to the Russia-Ukraine war and had previously urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries and diesel-related facilities. The Kremlin, in turn, responded positively to the US call.

However, there has been no full confirmation that a formal agreement between Russia and Ukraine has actually been reached. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to stop strikes on Russian energy facilities if its partners can guarantee a reciprocal move by Moscow. According to the Ukrainian president, the issue should extend beyond energy facilities to electricity infrastructure, critical infrastructure and food supply routes.

The situation demonstrates how energy infrastructure has become one of the key instruments of the war. In recent months, Ukraine has targeted Russian oil-refining facilities in an effort to constrain Russia’s ability to produce fuel while also reducing revenues and logistical capabilities supporting the Russian military-industrial complex. Therefore, a potential halt to strikes on energy infrastructure would represent more than a limited reduction in the intensity of hostilities. It would affect one of the most sensitive economic dimensions of the war.

Trump’s statement came at a time when Russia’s domestic fuel market is facing significant pressure. The Kremlin has already welcomed Washington’s calls to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel-production facilities. Attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure are taking place against the backdrop of instability in global energy markets.

For this reason, an energy truce could potentially benefit Moscow in the short term: a halt to Ukrainian attacks would give Russian refineries an opportunity to restore processing capacity, increase fuel production and ease pressure on the domestic market.

Politically, however, Trump’s statement goes far beyond the issue of oil refining. If the agreement is actually implemented, it could become the first relatively easily verifiable mechanism for limiting the war after numerous attempts to achieve a full ceasefire. Energy infrastructure is particularly suitable for such negotiations because compliance can be assessed relatively quickly by monitoring whether new strikes occur.

The key question is whether Moscow is prepared to abandon the use of energy pressure. This remains the central uncertainty. The timing is also particularly important. With winter approaching, the strategic importance of energy infrastructure for both sides is increasing.

 

According to CCBS assessments, Trump’s statement demonstrates that the energy factor is gradually becoming one of the main instruments of US pressure on both sides of the conflict. If the strikes actually stop, Washington could use the energy truce as a model for negotiations covering other categories of targets — transport infrastructure, ports, industrial facilities and, ultimately, a broader ceasefire. At the same time, the opposite scenario is equally significant: if either side violates the arrangement, it would provide further evidence of a lack of political will for de-escalation.

CCBS Research Desk

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14.09.2026 08:44