Date: October 11, 2026
Reporter: Joseph Wilson
KYIV — Ukraine is prepared to stop attacking Russian oil refineries if Moscow ends its strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday, setting out Kyiv’s conditions for a possible mutual de-escalation of attacks on energy facilities.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine was willing to halt strikes on Russian refineries, but insisted that any agreement must apply to both sides and include credible guarantees that Russia would stop targeting Ukraine’s power infrastructure.
“The real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone,” Zelenskiy said, adding that attacks against energy infrastructure could be stopped immediately if Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to do the same.
His comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil facilities and demanded that Kyiv stop striking refineries. Trump had also suggested that Ukraine should consider replacing Zelenskiy as president, arguing that a different Ukrainian leader might be able to reach a deal with Moscow.
Zelenskiy rejected the idea that Ukraine should unilaterally end its attacks while Russia continues targeting Ukrainian infrastructure.
The dispute comes at a particularly sensitive moment in the nearly four-and-a-half-year-old Russia-Ukraine war. Energy infrastructure has become a major component of the conflict, with Russia repeatedly attacking Ukrainian power facilities while Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia’s oil industry in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s ability to finance and supply its military campaign.
Zelenskiy’s position reflects Kyiv’s longstanding argument that energy strikes should end through reciprocal commitments rather than through unilateral concessions.
Growing tensions over Russian diesel
The disagreement between Washington and Kyiv has also intensified following Trump’s announcement of a diesel supply arrangement with Russia.
Trump has argued that attacks on Russian refineries have contributed to pressure on global diesel supplies and higher fuel prices. His administration has been seeking additional supplies as elevated energy costs have become a political concern in the United States ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
The Russian government subsequently announced a partial lifting of restrictions on diesel exports.
Zelenskiy strongly criticized the decision, arguing that easing economic pressure on Moscow could encourage Russia to continue its military campaign against Ukraine.
He pointed to a deadly Russian attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia as evidence, saying Russia had responded to the easing of pressure with further attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas.
The Zaporizhzhia attack killed at least 20 people, including three children, according to earlier reports, while Zelenskiy later said the death toll had risen to 23, including four children. The attack was among several recent mass-casualty strikes in Ukraine.
The attacks have further complicated international efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine back toward serious peace negotiations.
Trump presses Zelenskiy to stop refinery attacks
Trump’s criticism of Ukraine has added another layer of tension to relations between Washington and Kyiv.
Trump said on Saturday that Zelenskiy should stop attacks on Russian refineries, arguing that the strikes were affecting energy supplies. He also questioned whether Ukraine should have new leadership capable of reaching an agreement with Putin.
Zelenskiy pushed back against the criticism, maintaining that Ukrainians themselves must determine who leads their country.
He also said Ukraine could hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day complete ceasefire. Ukrainian law currently prohibits national elections while martial law remains in force because of security concerns created by the war.
The Ukrainian president said that if Putin were prepared to provide a genuine 60-day ceasefire, Ukraine could move toward organizing elections.
The dispute illustrates the widening gap between Washington’s desire for a rapid settlement and Kyiv’s insistence that any peace process must protect Ukraine from further Russian attacks.
Ukraine seeks stronger European support
While tensions with the Trump administration have increased, Zelenskiy said he would continue working with European leaders to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses.
According to the Ukrainian president, discussions are continuing over additional air-defense systems and ammunition for aircraft being used to counter Russian drones.
European governments have continued to support Ukraine militarily and politically, although there are differences among Western allies over how quickly negotiations with Moscow should proceed and what conditions should accompany a ceasefire.
Germany has reaffirmed its support for Zelenskiy and Ukraine, while Britain has indicated that it intends to strengthen sanctions pressure on Russia.
Ukraine is also seeking continued progress toward membership in the European Union.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is expected to participate in an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday, where ministers are expected to discuss additional pressure on Russia and Ukraine’s path toward EU membership.
A possible opening for an energy truce
Zelenskiy’s proposal could provide a potential starting point for negotiations if Moscow accepts reciprocal restrictions on attacks against energy infrastructure.
For Kyiv, however, the key issue remains verification and enforcement. Zelenskiy said any agreement would require “real guarantees,” reflecting Ukrainian concerns that Russia could use a temporary halt in attacks to regroup before resuming strikes.
The proposed arrangement would also require both governments to trust that the other side would respect the terms, something that has proved difficult throughout the war.
The Kremlin has not indicated that it is prepared to accept Zelenskiy’s conditions.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to face Russian missile and drone attacks, while its own forces have maintained a campaign against Russian energy infrastructure, particularly oil refineries and other facilities linked to Moscow’s fuel supply.
The latest exchange between Zelenskiy and Trump therefore places energy infrastructure at the center of the broader diplomatic struggle over how to end the war.
For Ukraine, stopping attacks on Russian refineries is possible, Zelenskiy says, but only if Russia simultaneously stops attacking Ukrainian energy facilities. The question now is whether Moscow will accept that reciprocal approach and whether Washington can persuade both sides to turn the proposal into a verifiable agreement.