Tillis says Trump's Russia deal 'is tarnishing Lindsey Graham's efforts' at sanctions

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday via Truth Social that an "energy ceasefire" is in effect between Russia and Ukraine, claiming both parties have agreed to stop attacking energy infrastructure. A White House official told Axios that the potential deal involves each side stopping attacks on oil refineries, adding that if those attacks cease, a deal to stop hitting power plants and energy grids could follow.

According to Axios, a Ukrainian official noted the proposal is lopsided because Ukraine has only one refinery that is not fully functional, while Russia possesses a vast network of refineries.

Following the announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian strikes hit multiple power plants, including a drone strike on a Kyiv plant that caused outages and a strike on the CHP-5 plant in Kharkiv. Zelensky expressed surprise at the announcement and stated he was seeking more details, while Punch Nigeria reported that Russia has not yet confirmed any agreement.

Sen. Thom Tillis criticized the President's deal with Russia for diesel, stating on Sunday that the agreement to pursue Russian oil is tarnishing Senator Lindsey Graham's efforts regarding sanctions. The Hill reported that Tillis urged the president to move forward with a sanctions bill previously sent to him. This comes two days after Trump announced a temporary easing of U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, Punch Nigeria, Punch, Axios, Winnipeg Free Press — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.