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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized US President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on diesel exports from Russia, questioning why Moscow should gain an economic advantage without making a visible concession toward ending the war in Ukraine.
In an interview with Axios on Saturday, Zelensky said the move looked like a reward for Russian President Vladimir Putin and undermined Kyiv’s efforts to achieve diplomatic progress. “It looks like a birthday present for Putin,” he said, describing the decision as “absolutely terrible.”
The Ukrainian leader said he had agreed to meet US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Florida to discuss possible talks aimed at ending the war before winter.
According to Zelensky, the envoys did not mention a possible agreement on Russian diesel exports during their discussions. His negotiating team informed him of the matter shortly before Trump announced he would speak with Putin and could unveil a change in sanctions policy.
“This is really not honest, because we have tried to build our relations in the best possible way,” Zelensky said. He questioned whether Washington had consulted Kyiv while holding separate talks with Moscow.
The Ukrainian president said he wanted a full explanation of the issues discussed at the Florida meeting and to understand whether the diesel arrangement was linked to a planned visit to Russia by Trump’s representatives. Zelensky also said he did not know whether the decision was intended to secure a meeting with Putin. “Maybe I’m wrong. But it looks like that. Otherwise, why would you do it?”
Zelensky says energy ceasefire could be a condition
Zelensky said he would support easing restrictions on Russian energy exports if it formed part of an agreement to halt attacks on both countries’ energy infrastructure over the winter. “If the price is an energy ceasefire, these negotiations are good,” he said.
Without such a commitment, Zelensky questioned what Washington would gain from the arrangement and whether the prospect of additional diesel supplies justified making concessions to Moscow. He nevertheless did not rule out the United States’ role as a mediator in efforts to end the conflict: “We need the Americans to try to stop this war.”
Trump spoke by phone with Putin on Friday and later described the conversation as a “very successful discussion.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that they had agreed Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, with subsequent deliveries to take place in November and the following months, depending on the condition of Russian oil refineries.
Putin said increased supplies of Russian diesel to the United States and international markets would benefit the global economy. According to the Russian president, the leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, the energy sector, Iran and bilateral relations.
The dispute comes as negotiations continue over ending Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine, launched in February 2022. Zelensky’s criticism reflects a key disagreement in the peace efforts: Kyiv wants economic concessions to Moscow to be accompanied by concrete steps toward halting military operations, while Washington continues direct engagement with the Kremlin.
