Zelensky Says Will Stop Russia Refinery Attacks. But There's 1 Condition

Ukraine would be ready to stop hitting Russian oil refineries if Russia curbed its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, after criticism from US counterpart Donald Trump.

Tensions between the two leaders have flared since Friday, when Trump announced a deal that would see Russia release large amounts of diesel onto global energy markets in exchange for sanctions relief.

I am grateful to all our emergency services, who are always there for our people and work to address the aftermath of brutal Russian strikes. Only this morning, search and rescue operations were completed in Zaporizhzhia, where Russia killed 23 people, including four children. Yesterday, the Russians struck a medical facility in Kharkiv, and overnight there were Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, and energy infrastructure. This morning, the Russians struck a five-story apartment building in Slovyansk – an entire section of the building was destroyed, and people may still be under the rubble. And this continues unabated – this week alone, the Russians have used around 1,450 aerial bombs, 75 missiles of various types, and more than 1,640 attack drones, about 60% of them jet-powered. Today, we will continue coordinating with partners – there will be talks with European leaders. Virtually every day, we coordinate at different levels and work on additional defense packages, first and foremost air defense and munitions for combat aircraft. All of this is to protect the lives of our people and Ukraine's interests. The real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone. It is possible to stop strikes on energy infrastructure as early as today, but Putin does not want to do so. Ukraine will be ready to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Russia stops striking our energy infrastructure. Any de-escalation steps must be reciprocal and backed by real guarantees.

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 11, 2026

Zelensky described the deal as a "weak decision", saying it would encourage Russia to keep attacking Ukraine, but Trump said Saturday that Ukraine's strikes were to blame for rising fuel prices.

Prices at US gasoline and diesel pumps have surged since late February, when joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran prompted Tehran to block the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway used for oil exports from the Gulf.

"Ukraine will be ready to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Russia stops striking our energy infrastructure. Any de-escalation steps must be reciprocal and backed by real guarantees," Zelensky said on X.

Russia has launched waves of attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since invading in February 2022, knocking out power and heating to millions during winter months.

Ukraine's largest private energy provider, DTEK, announced fresh power outages in the capital Kyiv on Sunday.

The row between Zelensky and Trump comes weeks before closely-fought US elections dominated by voter frustration over the cost of living.

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