Trump Claims Russia-Ukraine Energy Ceasefire as Oil Prices Drop and Houthis Kill 14 in Deadliest Saudi Airport Strike

President Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" in the Ukraine conflict and signaled a deal for the United States to buy diesel from Russia, easing fears over global supply disruptions. Oil prices fell roughly $1.50 per barrel on the news, while global equities advanced, with the FTSE 100 closing up 1.1%. Trump also called for Ukraine to install new leadership, saying it was "time for Ukraine to get a new president."

The ceasefire claim immediately ran into contradictions. Ukraine said Russia violated the energy truce shortly after it was announced, and Russian strikes on Ukraine continued. Zelenskyy publicly welcomed the truce, framing the question as whether Russia genuinely wanted peace, while Trump's posture drew a sharp collision course with Kyiv and European allies.

European leaders pushed back forcefully against the Russia diesel deal. EU foreign policy chief Kallas urged US partners to impose sanctions on Russia rather than striking energy agreements, arguing sanctions were the path to ending the war. The German foreign minister said EU sanctions were already making it harder for Putin to prolong the conflict. Polish Prime Minister Tusk said he wanted to persuade European partners to increase sanctions further. Separately, EU foreign ministers approved nearly 1,600 new sanctions targeting Russia's military-industrial complex. In Washington, Representative Thomas Massie backed Trump's approach, saying he had warned in 2022 that sanctions would hurt American consumers.

In a separate but converging crisis, Houthi militants carried out their deadliest strikes yet on Saudi Arabian airports, killing at least 14 people across a series of attacks that included a fourth bombing of a Saudi airport. Riyadh airport was struck, triggering flight cancellations and prompting the Trump administration to warn US airlines, including Delta, of Saudi airspace risks. Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, China, and the UAE all condemned the attacks. A UAE official at a security conference in Abu Dhabi said the strikes "impact our security and the security of the entire region," and Bloomberg flagged the attacks as threatening a wider regional war.