Ukraine and the US: What's next after Trump’s diesel deal with Russia?

Ukraine and the United States are facing a tense situation following a diesel deal between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Axios reported that the agreement allows Russia to supply diesel fuel to global markets, in response to Ukraine's non-compliance with Washington's demands to cease attacks on oil refineries in Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Trump's decision, calling it a "weak decision by strong partners." The deal was announced during talks in Miami between Ukrainian, US and European representatives.

Ukrainian experts have differing opinions on the situation, with some seeing it as a politically motivated move ahead of the US midterm elections, while others believe it could lead to closer ties between Ukraine and its European partners. Mykhailo Honchar of the Ukrainian Center for Global Studies suggests that Putin may have used the diesel deal as a way to exert influence on Ukraine, potentially linking to a sale of Russian oil company Lukoil's foreign assets.

However, Oleksandr Kraiev of the Ukrainian think tank Ukrainian Prism advises against taking drastic action, as cutting off security assistance and intelligence sharing would be detrimental to Ukraine's security.