Trump Says He and Putin Have Cut Diesel Deal, Zelensky Accuses Washington of ‘Weakness’

US President Donald Trump announced in a post on Truth Social Media that Russia agreed to supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the US and global markets. Another 500,000 tons would follow in November and 1 million tons after that. “Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority,” Trump wrote, adding that Russia would then deliver 3 million tons of diesel within a short time, depending on the condition of its diesel refineries.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Combined with what he called a “total control of the Strait of Hormuz,” the deal would quickly bring down diesel prices for Americans and the rest of the world, Trump claimed. Shortly after, the US Treasury Department authorized the sale and import of Russian diesel fuel through April 7, 2027. The new license came only three weeks after Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act into law on Sept. 18, appearing to completely disregard the bill intended to target Russia’s energy and defense industries, as well as networks close to Putin. Hours before the license was issued, President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to the visiting US lawmakers to enforce the law, as it remains crucial for ending the war. The move also gives Moscow something it had openly demanded. In late September, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian diesel could flood international markets – but only if it reached them without sanctions or restrictions. Other Topics of Interest Sybiha Presses WTO Chief on Black Sea Shipping, Remote Audits Kyiv is aiming to promote a WTO-wide standard for remote audits and inspections, having already agreed on the practice with the EU, UK and Canada. Since July, Russia has banned nearly all of its diesel exports, after Ukrainian drone strikes managed to halt a large share of its refining capacity. Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly pressed Kyiv to ease those strikes, pinning the blame on Ukraine for record diesel prices instead of the US-Iran war. Zelensky warns against sanctions relief Zelensky argued that easing sanctions on Russia without a clear and durable de-escalation agreement would be a sign of weakness that benefits Moscow. “In my view, this is a weak decision,” he said. The Ukrainian president appeared to respond directly to Trump’s announcement. “Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged,” he said. Zelensky also pointed to the EU’s decision to delist two Russian oligarchs – Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman – both closely connected to Putin and the Kremlin’s war effort. Since that move, he said, Russian strikes and terror of civilians have only intensified. When the US lawmakers asked what it would take to end the war, Zelensky listed three conditions: enforcement of sanctions under the law championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham support for Ukraine in protecting lives and sustained pressure on Russia over the war. De-escalation offered – again Zelensky reiterated that Kyiv is prepared to take de-escalation steps that match Russia’s own, and that the American negotiating team is aware of this position. Zelensky framed Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian refineries and other oil facilities as a response to Moscow’s years-long campaign against Ukraine’s power grid. Halting them, he said, would depend on Russia ending its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Moscow, however, has repeatedly rejected such arrangements. In the very few times it had agreed to a ceasefire, it failed to honor it, with attacks resuming immediately. The president stressed that any easing of the conflict must be reciprocal rather than one-sided, and pointed to Russia’s results on the battlefield. In his view, Russia is relying on strikes against civilians to make up for its failure to reach its military goals. This year, he said, Russian forces are weaker on the front line than at any earlier point in the war. “That is exactly why Putin relies on terror. That is exactly why he relies on attempts at backroom deals on one or another easing of pressure on Russia, to buy more time and more opportunities for war.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.