Kremlin relishes in U.S.-Russia diesel deal and Trump's criticism of Zelenskyy

President Donald Trump defended a diesel agreement announced on October 9 that would allow Russia to supply up to 4.8 million tons of diesel to U.S. and global markets. Writing on Truth Social, Trump claimed he made the right choice for the American people and accused the media of ignoring $250 billion in energy payments made by the European Union to Russia, though the Kyiv Post noted he did not specify the source or period for that figure.

The Kyiv Independent reported that the Trump administration threatened senior Ukrainian officials in an effort to protect Russian oil refineries.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the deal, noting that while Ukraine held off on striking Russian energy facilities following Trump's October 11 energy truce announcement, Russia continued relentless attacks on Ukraine's power grid. Zelenskyy stated there is no evidence Russia is fulfilling the conditions outlined by the U.S. president and suggested the continued airstrikes and use of suicide drones may be Russia's response to the truce.

PBS NewsHour reported that while the scale of Russia's diesel exports is relatively small and unlikely to significantly impact prices, the revenue will assist Moscow in replenishing its war coffers.

The deal has faced criticism from Ukrainian leadership and prompted the European Union to announce fresh sanctions against Russia. The Kyiv Post noted the agreement has faced condemnation from European allies and both U.S. political parties. While Trump suggested that Ukrainian strikes on refineries create global problems for farmers and ranchers, the Kyiv Independent reported that the decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel has sparked a bipartisan backlash in the U.S. Congress.

Brief written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour, Kyiv Post, Times of India, Kyiv Independent, Interfax-Ukraine — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.