A White House official told Axios that Trump’s announcement referred to a potential “refinery for refinery” arrangement that Russia had not accepted. The proposal would initially halt attacks on oil refineries, with a broader agreement covering power plants and electricity grids possible later. A Ukrainian official told Axios that Ukraine has a single refinery that is not fully functional after repeated Russian attacks. Zelensky initially told Axios: “The ceasefire announcement was news for me. But if Russians agree to an energy ceasefire Ukraine will agree.”
The Trump administration also threatened to halt PURL, the NATO managed mechanism through which Ukraine’s allies buy American weapons for Kyiv, to pressure Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, European officials told the Financial Times. US officials lobbied Kyiv and European capitals over the weekend; the White House declined to confirm or comment on the calls. The dispute follows Trump’s Friday diesel agreement with Vladimir Putin and Treasury’s authorization of Russian diesel transactions through April 7, 2027.