Zelensky denounces Trump's Russia diesel deal as gift to Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced a deal announced on 9 October 2026 under which the United States lifted sanctions on Russian diesel sales for six months, calling it an investment in war. US President Donald Trump announced that Russia would immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace, followed by additional shipments.independent.co.uk+1

The announcement matters because it suspends an effort to punish Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, coming just weeks after Trump signed a law giving him authority to impose tariffs on countries that buy Russian fuel despite US sanctions. The deal arrived while a Ukrainian delegation was in the United States to discuss how to seek a resolution of the war with Russia.straitstimes.com

What the deal includes

Trump wrote on social media that he had agreed in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia would immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel. A further 500,000 tons were expected in November, and another 1,000,000 tons immediately thereafter, according to Trump. He said lower fuel prices for Americans were his greatest priority.jpost.com

The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced that, at Trump's direction, it had lifted sanctions on the sale of Russian diesel to the global market, including importation into the United States, for six months. Trump claimed the deal would soon drive down the cost of fuel in the United States, a concern for voters in the midterm elections.

Putin and Trump spoke by phone for around an hour and a half on Friday, as a Ukrainian delegation arrived in Miami for talks with a US team, the Kremlin said. Much of the call concerned the settlement of the Ukraine war, and the leaders also discussed large-scale economic initiatives including Russian fuel supplies, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.

Zelensky's response

Zelensky said the accord was an investment in a war that must be ended and a weak decision by strong partners. He wrote on X that gifts to Putin would not bring peace or any benefit to the civilised world, and that Russia would repay the diesel with further terror and perfidy, calling for real de-escalation on a reciprocal basis.

Speaking to reporters later, Zelensky said the accord would give Moscow additional funds to wage war and undermine attempts to reach a settlement. He said his team was being used as a front, calling it unfair and not how partners should treat each other. He also said the agreement was not fair and not honest.

Zelensky meets US lawmakers

Zelensky compared the deal to a happy birthday present for Putin, referring to the Russian president's birthday on Wednesday. When a reporter told Trump that Zelensky had called him weak because of the Putin deal, Trump asked who said that, then ignored the question. Putin told Trump on Friday that Kyiv had undermined the possibility of an immediate resumption of Ukraine peace talks after hitting Moscow with drones during last month's election, the Kremlin said. Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev wrote on X that Russia-US cooperation on diesel and energy would benefit the world.

Zelensky met in Kyiv with Republican senators Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, along with Republican congressmen Dan Crenshaw and Marc Veasey, both of Texas, to discuss implementing the new Russia sanctions law. Zelensky said he expected the Lindsey Graham Act to be implemented and financial flows sustaining Russia's war machine fully cut off.

UK response and next steps

The British government responded to the US-Russian diesel deal by saying the United Kingdom would maintain pressure on Russia through the toughest sanctions regime ever imposed by the UK. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said talks with the Ukrainian delegation were productive and identified areas for further exploration. The next step is the resumption of peace talks, which Putin said he would think about timing for on the Friday call. A Ukrainian delegation remained in Miami for further talks with a US team, while the six-month sanctions lift on Russian diesel sales took effect immediately.