Zelensky: Ukrainian Peace Team in Florida Used as ‘Smokescreen’ for US-Russia Diesel Deal

President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a blistering rebuke of Washington on Friday, Oct. 9, after US President Donald Trump struck a separate energy deal with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin while Ukrainian peace negotiators were in Florida – handing Moscow a massive financial lifeline to sustain its invasion. The diplomatic contrast could hardly have been sharper. As Ukrainian officials sat down with their American counterparts in Miami to explore ways to halt Russia’s war, Trump spoke directly with the man who launched it, agreeing to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The arrangement stands to generate substantial new revenue for Moscow at a time when Ukraine and its European partners have been pressing for maximum economic pressure to cripple the Kremlin’s war machine. Speaking to journalists Friday evening, Zelensky sharply questioned Washington’s approach, challenging how the US could credibly mediate peace while simultaneously offering Putin sudden economic relief. Ukraine seeks ceasefire as Trump cuts deal with Moscow According to President Zelensky, Ukraine’s negotiating team traveled to Florida to seek a pathway toward ending Russia’s full-scale invasion – or, at the very least, securing an initial ceasefire. “Right now, our Ukrainian team, our negotiating team, is in Florida, holding talks with the American team about ending this terrible war – or, at the very least, achieving a ceasefire,” Zelensky said. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine's Inflation Jumps to 10% as Prices Post Sharpest Monthly Spike This Year Ukraine's inflation crossed into double digits in September, with consumer prices jumping 2.1% in a single month – by far the sharpest monthly move this year, as logistics and water supply drive prices up again. He emphasized that an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure could provide an urgent first step toward a broader de-escalation, particularly as relentless Russian strikes threaten Ukrainian homes, the power grid, and essential services ahead of winter. “An energy ceasefire could be the first step toward a broader ceasefire. This is extremely important for our people, for our families.” The high-level Ukrainian delegation in Florida includes Presidential Chief of Staff Kyrylo Budanov, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, First Deputy Chief of Staff Serhiy Kyslytsia, and parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamia. They have been holding talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, alongside representatives from Britain, France, Germany, the EU, and NATO. But as those sensitive negotiations unfolded in Miami, Trump was pursuing an entirely different conversation with the Kremlin. “At this very moment, while our team is talking with the American team in Florida, the president of the United States is having a conversation with the Kremlin leader – the leader of this war, the leader of this aggression,” Zelensky stated. “And they reach an agreement under which America allows Russia to export diesel.” For Ukraine, the decision risks undermining one of the West’s most critical tools for pressuring Putin to end the war. ‘Additional money for this war against us’ Trump defended the arrangement in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, announcing that Russia had agreed to supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the US and global markets, with another 500,000 tons to follow in November and 1 million tons afterward. “Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority,” Trump wrote, adding that Russia would deliver another 3 million tons of diesel within a short period, depending on the operational condition of its refineries. Combined with what Trump termed “total control of the Strait of Hormuz,” the US president claimed the agreement would rapidly lower domestic fuel costs. Shortly after Trump’s announcement, the US Treasury Department issued General License 135, officially authorizing transactions involving the sale, delivery, offloading, and importation of Russian diesel fuel through April 7, 2027. The sudden authorization came just three weeks after Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act into law on Sept. 18 – legislation explicitly designed to choke off Russia’s energy revenues and financial networks. Bipartisan US lawmakers had strongly urged Washington to fully implement the law ahead of its mid-October deadlines, warning that the Kremlin was exploiting loopholes to keep bankrolling its front lines. Zelensky warned that the financial windfall from lifting these sanctions is impossible to separate from the violence on the ground. “This is additional money, additional money for this war against us, without question,” the Ukrainian president said. “It only fuels Putin and gives him the opportunity to wage even more war.” “And at this very moment, when we are talking about peace, America is allowing Russia to export diesel,” Zelensky continued. “I don’t know whether we’re talking about millions or billions. In any case, all of it goes toward the war against people, against Ukraine, against all of us.” US fuel prices prioritized over sanctions pressure The White House has framed the deal as a pragmatic response to severe domestic economic pressures. US diesel prices have recently climbed to an average of approximately $6.28 per gallon, squeezing truck drivers, agricultural supply chains, and American consumers. However, energy analysts and European allies note that the initial shipment of 300,000 tons is modest compared to total US daily consumption, raising doubts about whether the deal can deliver the sweeping price relief Trump promised. Furthermore, the decision risks severely fracturing the unified Western sanctions strategy. For nearly five years, the US and its allies have sought to starve Moscow of the energy revenues required to pay military salaries, manufacture missiles, and sustain its occupation. Allowing Russian diesel back into Western-regulated markets effectively rewards the Kremlin without securing any corresponding concession, such as a halt to attacks on Ukrainian civilians. ‘Gifts to Putin will not bring peace’ Zelensky reinforced his criticism in a separate statement on X (formerly Twitter), describing the sudden easing of energy sanctions as an investment in prolonging the war rather than ending it. “Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilised world,” Zelensky wrote. In an interview with Axios, Zelensky was even more direct, calling the arrangement “not fair and not honest,” likening it to a birthday present for Putin, who turned 74 earlier this week. Zelensky concluded his remarks to journalists by returning to what he characterized as the fundamentally unfair treatment of Ukraine’s negotiating team. “I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen,” Zelensky said. “And that is definitely unfair. It is definitely not how partners should behave.” “And it is a weak decision. Unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners. Glory to Ukraine!”