Trump struck a diesel deal with Putin just weeks after signing Russia sanctions. Zelenskyy calls it ‘a weak decision’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called the U.S.-Russia diesel deal "a weak decision," alleging that negotiators are being used as a smokescreen. This assessment comes just weeks after President Trump signed a Russia sanctions law aimed at clamping down on the country's energy economy. The deal, announced by Trump on social media, involves Russia supplying over 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by additional shipments totaling 4.3 million tons.

Zelenskyy criticized the deal, stating that Russia's move is an investment in prolonging the war in Ukraine, allowing Russia to kill more people and inflict greater damage on the world. Rep. Don Beyer, a senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, also criticized the deal, calling it "infuriating" and highlighting the trustworthiness issues surrounding Trump's interactions with Russia.

The deal casts doubt on the likelihood of the White House imposing sanctions on Russia this month, as a bipartisan law passed by Congress directs the administration to target top importers of Russian oil and gas.