President Zelenskyy: 'We will stop' strikes on Russian diesel if Russia pauses attacks

After President Donald Trump demanded that Ukraine stop striking Russian oil refineries, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended the attacks in an exclusive interview with ABC News, saying his country is responding to repeated Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

"I said it to President Trump … to his team and to his people several times: we want peace, we are ready for [a] ceasefire, we are ready to begin from any kind of steps of de-escalation," Zelenskyy told "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl. "And if the Russians want us not [to] attack their diesel, their refineries and etc., we are asking President Trump, give them signal not attack energy infrastructure of Ukraine."

He went on, "Don't attack us. Don't kill our children. We will stop attack[ing] your diesel. And I think it's [a] fair, fair deal."

After Zelenskyy’s interview on ABC News aired, Trump said on social media that Ukraine and Russia had both agreed to an energy ceasefire.

“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” his post said.

Zelenskyy and his office were not informed about Trump’s statement of an energy ceasefire with Russia ahead of time and learned about it from social media, a senior source in Ukraine's presidential office told ABC News.

The source said Ukraine has no information about the alleged agreement.

On Saturday, Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy to reporters, claiming the Ukrainian president "chooses not to" end the war with Russia, which began when Russia invaded the sovereign country in February of 2022.

Amid a global energy crisis, Trump took issue with Ukraine's repeated strikes on Russian oil refineries, asserting that those strikes are exacerbating the price of diesel.

"We said you could do whatever you want to Russia, don't hit the refineries, because that's a world problem that's caused. And [Zelenskyy] wants to make problems for the world," Trump said. "He can do whatever he wants. But you can't do that because we have a world problem. And the problem is caused by the lack of refineries for diesel fuel. So what does he do? He goes and hits refineries."

A senior Ukrainian source told ABC News that Ukraine expects the Trump administration to stop sharing U.S. intelligence that tracks Russian missile launches in retaliation over Kyiv’s refusal to end strikes on Russia’s oil industry.

Trump and Zelenskyy have had a tumultuous relationship. In 2025, a meeting in the Oval Office with reporters devolved into a shouting match before the cameras, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance rebuking the Ukrainian president for his handling of the war and even falsely blaming Zelenskyy for beginning the conflict.

The latest spat comes after Trump announced the U.S. had made a deal with Russia to "immediately" import 300,000 tons of its diesel fuel, with a promise that millions more are coming.

Zelenskyy said this deal amounts to an "obvious weakness."

"It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world," he said. "We count on America’s fair support for our defense of life, for our defense of people in Ukraine – and on the United States having a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one."

Less than 24 hours later, Trump called for Zelenskyy to be replaced.

"You know what I suggest? I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal. Because he could have made many deals. And for some reason, he never does," Trump said on the White House South Lawn. "I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president."

He later told reporters, "I think he should have an election."

Responding to those comments, Zelenskyy told Karl, "With all respect to President Trump, it's up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader."

Zelenskyy also offered a solution that he said was shared with the Trump administration: a commitment to hold elections if Russian President Vladimir Putin abides by a 60-day ceasefire.

“I know that Putin wanted very much to change the president in Ukraine, I understand it. And if President Trump really wants to have some changes in -- during elections, I also shared it with his team: please tell Putin, give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organize elections. Of course, we will be ready for any choice of our people.”

Karl asked Zelenskyy why he thinks Trump and Elon Musk, whose Starlink internet is essential for Ukraine, are blaming him for the war’s continuation. Musk said Saturday on X that Zelenskyy has “gone too far.”

“Because these people can't find a key how to stop Putin,” Zelenskyy said. “Because it's more simple to speak about the prices and connect it with Ukraine when everybody in the world understands ... prices are rising … because of the war in Middle East, of the blocking of Hormuz, because of these reasons. Everybody understands it.”

Asked how long Ukraine can continue to defend itself as the war approaches five years, Zelenskyy said the war has to end.

“I hope that we will save this unity, Europe and the United States," he said. "We will defend ourselves because otherwise, we will lose our life and homes, our freedom, independence, Ukraine. Yeah, we can't lose it. And the truth is on our side."