Kremlin Backs Trump Energy Truce, Demands Sanctions Lifted — SkimNews
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- The Kremlin welcomed Trump's proposed Russia-Ukraine moratorium on energy strikes as a "very good idea" but said it alone would not be enough to bring down prices and stabilize global fuel markets.
- Spokesman Dmitry Peskov demanded the truce also protect commercial shipping for oil tankers and lift "unlawful" sanctions and restrictions on Russian energy supplies.
- President Trump claimed Monday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt strikes on each other's energy targets, though neither side confirmed any such deal.
- Russia hit petrol stations in Kyiv on Tuesday while Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery, continuing the tit-for-tat energy attacks despite Trump's announcement.
- President Zelenskiy conditioned Kyiv's support on Washington first guaranteeing that Moscow is genuinely ready to end the war, not merely pause energy strikes.
- Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities triggered summer fuel shortages in Russia, forcing export restrictions and pushing up global gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel prices.
Why it matters: Russia's conditions — sanctions removal and shipping protections — go far beyond a narrow energy ceasefire, meaning Moscow is leveraging Trump's proposal to extract broader concessions while continuing to strike Ukrainian infrastructure. The gap between Trump's claim of a deal and the absence of confirmation from either combatant, alongside fresh strikes the same day, suggests the 'truce' is more rhetorical than operational, leaving global fuel markets exposed to continued disruption.
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