Trump announces a Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire; Lavrov rejects any pause and Zelenskyy asks for real steps

11 October 2026

US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday 11 October 2026 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking each other's energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine supports an energy ceasefire but that such steps must be real and not just announced on social media; he said at least six Ukrainian energy facilities were hit after the announcement. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected any pause in fighting. The announcement came two days after Trump temporarily eased US sanctions on Russian diesel. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said copying that diesel deal was out of the question for Europe, and French President Emmanuel Macron said there was no factual reason to change the position.