Zelensky criticises US easing of sanctions to allow Russian diesel
Zelensky warns that permitting Russian diesel exports will finance the war and offers to halt strikes on refineries if attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities stop.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticized the agreement announced by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow shipments of Russian diesel to the American and global market, warning that any easing of restrictions on Russia’s energy exports will help Moscow finance the war against Ukraine.
Zelensky said, "Allowing Russia to sell oil products is an investment in the war, which should be stopped, not prolonged," and repeated that Kyiv is ready to halt strikes on Russian refineries if Moscow stops attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.
Numbers, exemptions and Washington’s volte-face
The move follows Trump’s claims that Putin agreed to supply diesel after what Trump described as an "extremely successful" phone call and after Trump wrote about the arrangement on his platform Truth Social. Trump said Russia would immediately deliver more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, with another 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes shortly after; depending on the state of Russian refineries, an additional three million tonnes could be delivered in a short period.
The Kremlin confirmed that Russia is ready to supply oil and oil products to all markets. After Trump’s comments, the US Department of the Treasury issued a temporary sanctions exemption allowing the sale, shipment, unloading and import of Russian diesel until April 7, 2027.
Energy analysts note that the announced volumes are a small fraction of global diesel demand and are unlikely to have a major impact on prices. Still, the arrangement marks another sharp shift in Washington’s often-changing approach to Moscow.
Trump has repeatedly blamed Zelensky for the global diesel shortage and urged Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian refineries. The move comes as Trump faces growing domestic pressure over rising fuel prices ahead of the US congressional elections on November 3, and as global fuel prices rise amid the war with Iran and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Photo: press material from the event
