WorldPosted at: Oct 10 2026 6:06PM


Zelensky criticises Trump’s Russian diesel deal, calls it ‘birthday present’ for Putin

Kyiv, Oct 10 (UNI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised US President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian energy exports and allow diesel shipments, describing it as an unfair move that benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin without securing concessions from Moscow.
In a phone interview with Axios on Friday, Zelensky compared the decision to a “happy birthday present” for Putin, whose birthday fell earlier this week.
The announcement, which was made after a call between Trump and Putin, has unsettled Ukraine and several European governments, creating a new point of contention between Washington and its allies in the West.
Trump was asked repeatedly about Zelensky’s criticism on Friday but declined to comment directly, saying he was happy with the deal with Putin.
The announcement came as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian negotiators in Miami, alongside senior diplomats from Germany, France, the UK, the European union and NATO, to discuss fresh proposals for ending the war.
Zelensky said he had spoken to Witkoff several days earlier about securing a diplomatic breakthrough before winter and the US midterm elections. He agreed to attend the Florida talks after being told Washington had new ideas to discuss.
However, Zelensky said neither Witkoff nor Kushner had indicated that an agreement to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports was being considered.
He said his negotiators informed him about an hour before Trump’s announcement that the US president planned to speak to Putin and that a statement on sanctions might follow.
“It’s not honest, really, because we tried to build our relations in the best way,” Zelensky said. “It looks like that they used this opportunity to meet us from one side, and from the other side called Putin and negotiate this.”
Zelensky said he would have supported easing sanctions on Russian energy as part of an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure in both countries over the winter.
“If the price is energy ceasefire, this negotiation is good,” he said.
But he questioned what Washington had secured in return for allowing additional Russian diesel exports.
“What did [Trump] get? That he will have more diesel? For whom? More Russian diesel for Americans? It shows weakness of the world,” Zelensky said.
He compared the decision to last year’s Anchorage summit between Trump and Putin, which he said had ended with Washington accepting several Russian demands without securing concessions in return.
“It looks like Alaska No. 2,” he noted.
Despite his frustration, Zelensky stopped short of ruling out Washington’s continued role in facilitating dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow, acknowledging the US’ much-needed role as a mediator.
“It’s not simple. We need the Americans,” he said. “We need the Americans to try to stop this war.”
However, he warned that easing sanctions without an apparent Russian concession could complicate further diplomatic efforts.
“This decision will not help us in any way,” Zelensky said. “But what is bad, I think that this decision will not help Americans.”
Zelensky said he planned to speak to his negotiating team to obtain a full account of the Miami discussions. He also wanted to establish whether the diesel agreement was linked to a planned visit by Trump’s envoys to Russia.
“If you allow them to export diesel, and you think before that you have to go to Russia to negotiate, it looks that you are buying this meeting,” he said, while stressing that he did not know whether that had been Trump’s intention.
“Maybe I’m not right,” Zelensky added. “But it looks this way. Otherwise, why do it?”
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