Trump vs. Zelensky? From the “surprise” ceasefire to support: What was said

A controversy between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky grew during the weekend after the US President said that Ukraine should have “a new president” and announce an energy ceasefire that, according to the Ukrainian President, was “a novelty”. What happened?

It all started with the Ukrainian President's response to Donald Trump about possible elections, saying that ukraine could hold elections if Russia agreed to a total ceasefire of 60 days.

“ First of all, with all due respect to President Trump, it is up to our society, our people, to choose one leader or another,” Zelensky told ABC News during an interview on Sunday, the day after Trump claimed that Ukraine needed a new president willing to negotiate the end of the war.

Then the President of Ukraine confessed that he has already told the team of the President of the United States that if they really want Ukraine to hold elections, “please tell Putin to grant us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will hold the elections”.

Cease-fire energy between Russia and Ukraine?

Later on Sunday, Donald Trump appealed to his Social Truth platform to announce that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to immediately suspend attacks on energy facilities. 

“ An ENERGY CESSAR in the war between Russia and Ukraine will enter into force immediately. Both parties agreed. Don’t break it!”, he wrote, not doing anything about it anymore.

However, Volodymyr Zelensky said not knowing such a deal. Still, he ensured that this ceasefire “is good news for everyone”, stressing that “it is important that it become reality” and that the attacks had continued in the last hours. 

Zelensky also pointed out that if the truce was negotiated between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, it is necessary to warn him.

“ Unfortunately, the Ukrainian skies have been infested with Russian bombs all day. There were attacks with glider bombs and also attacks on our energy infrastructure,” he said.

The Ukrainian President also stated that he is awaiting the “clear” details of the dialogue between the United States and Russia and said that he hoped “that Putin will comply with what President Trump said.”.

Zelensky had already confessed that Trump’s announcement of the immediate suspension of attacks on energy facilities was “a novelty” for you. However, it ensured that “if the Russians agree to an energy ceasefire, Ukraine will agree”.

And what do the other countries say?

O french President Emmanuel Macron said that France fully supports the call for an energy truce in Ukraine, despite Russia rejecting the proposal and intensifying attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. 

France “supports fully the call for a genuine energy truce, to which Ukraine is willing,” said French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday after Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow.

One position also taken by the United Kingdom and announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who underlined supporting President Donald Trump’s call for a “lasting energy crisis without delay”.

“Russia intensified its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure during the weekend. [...]The United Kingdom strongly supports President Trump’s call for a lasting energy truce without delay,” Burnham wrote on social network X, quoted by Agence France Presse. 

Also canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that he would support “firmly” an “energy break-fire” between the two countriesduring a phone conversation with the us president. 

European Union diplomacy leader Kaja Kallas also welcomed Trump's ceasefire. However, he warned that Russia is not showing signs that it will comply. 

“ We welcome the ceasefire to attacks on energy infrastructure if it is respected. However, we have not yet seen signs that Russia will respect it,” Kaja Kallas said in statements to journalists this Monday.

EU ministers meet to adopt sanctions on Russia

As of this Monday, european Union Foreign Ministers (EU) will meet in Luxembourg to approve the largest ever sanctions package against Russia.

Of the various items on the agenda for Ukraine, ministers are expected to approve the “largest package” ever of sanctions against Russia, which had been announced by the head of diplomacy of the European bloc, Kaja Kallas, in September.

According to a European source, this package of sanctions will target around 1,600 individuals and entities in the Russian military and industrial complex, and another package of sanctions related to the holding of legislative elections in the occupied territories in Ukraine is also envisaged.