On 2025-02-09, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine is ready to halt its strikes on Russian oil refineries, but only if Russia ceases its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He stressed that any de‑escalation must be mutual and backed by real guarantees. The statement came after weeks of Ukrainian forces targeting refineries that produce fuel for the Russian war effort, and it framed the possibility of a reciprocal pause as contingent on Moscow’s behaviour.
Just over four months later, on 2025-06-14, a Russian air strike hit the southern city of Zaporizhzhia. The attack killed 23 civilians, including four children. On the same day, US President Donald Trump publicly urged Ukraine to stop hitting Russian refineries, framing the issue as a global concern. The strike underscored the intensity of the Russian campaign against Ukrainian energy sites, a pattern Zelenskyy would later cite when describing the scale of recent aggression.
The following day, 2025-06-15, Zelensky announced a conditional ceasefire on Russian oil refineries. He reiterated that Ukraine would be ready to stop striking those facilities if Russia halted its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and he again insisted that any steps toward de‑escalation must be mutual and accompanied by real guarantees. This announcement echoed his earlier position and reinforced the link between the two sets of attacks.
Two days after the diesel agreement, on 2026-10-11, Zelenskyy turned to his Telegram channel to propose a reciprocal halt.
On 2026-10-09, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to supply between 300,000 and 3 million tons of Russian diesel to global markets. Zelenskyy criticised the arrangement, arguing that lifting sanctions without a corresponding reduction in enemy attacks demonstrates weakness, because the revenue would fund the Russian war machine. He noted that Ukraine had previously raised compromises with US representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, suggesting that diplomatic channels had been explored before the diesel deal emerged.
Two days after the diesel agreement, on 2026-10-11, Zelenskyy turned to his Telegram channel to propose a reciprocal halt. He wrote that Ukraine would be ready to stop attacks on Russian refineries if Russia stopped striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He emphasized that any de‑escalation steps must be mutual and backed by real guarantees. In the same message he highlighted the intensity of Russian aggression, stating that in the last week alone Russia had launched approximately 1,450 aerial bombs, 75 missiles of different types, and over 1,640 attack drones against Ukraine. Zelenskyy also said he would continue coordination with European leaders to secure additional defence packages, specifically air‑defence systems and combat aviation munitions, aimed at protecting Ukrainian lives and interests.
Also on 2026-10-11, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov criticised Zelenskyy, calling him "hysterical" and accusing him of demanding more aggressive actions against Russia. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Elon Musk suggested that Ukraine needs a new leader, with Trump stating that Zelenskyy should not attack oil refineries because it is a global issue. Former French politician Dominique de Villepin said that Trump had entered a de facto pact with Putin to source diesel from Russia while demanding a new president in Ukraine, arguing that an American election was worth abandoning European security.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that Ukraine will halt strikes on Russian refineries only if Moscow ends its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and that any such arrangement must be reciprocal and backed by real guarantees. He has repeatedly described the root cause of the war in Europe as Russia’s aggression, asserting that Putin is unwilling to stop the attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector. The combination of battlefield losses, diplomatic overtures, the controversial diesel deal, and internal and external pressure on Ukrainian leadership creates a complex backdrop for any future de‑escalation effort.
As of 2026-10-11, Zelenskyy continued to seek mutual guarantees while coordinating with European partners for additional defensive capabilities.