Trump, Zelensky clash over diesel deal as Russian strikes kill 21
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky traded barbs Saturday after Washington moved to ease sanctions on Russian diesel and Moscow's continued strikes on Ukraine killed at least 21 people, including four children. Trump, whose party faces dim prospects in next month's midterm elections partly over soaring US fuel prices, announced Friday that he had called Russian…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump engaged in a clash over a recent diesel deal between Washington and Moscow, amid Russia's ongoing strikes on Ukraine that have resulted in at least 21 deaths, including four children. The US President, whose party faces difficulties in the upcoming midterm elections partly due to high US fuel prices, announced on Friday that he had spoken with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and authorized Moscow to release substantial amounts of diesel into the global market.
However, Ukraine and its European allies criticized the move, with Zelensky calling it a "weak decision." The EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated that easing sanctions on Russian diesel would only fuel the Kremlin's war on Ukraine, emphasizing that Europe would not soften its stance. In response to the criticism, Trump accused Zelensky of disobeying his orders not to target Russian refineries, claiming that Russia's strikes on Ukrainian refineries risk worsening global fuel shortages.
He urged Ukraine to "get a new president" and suggested that Zelensky could have brokered more deals, though he never did.
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