U.S. Official Reports Trump Negotiated Diesel Deal with Putin After Zelensky Ignored Requests

<p>President Donald Trump negotiated a diesel fuel deal with Russia after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not comply with multiple U.S. requests to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation. The report was published by Axios.</p><p><strong>Context:</strong> The deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised concerns about escalating tensions with Ukraine and could hinder ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to broker a peace agreement to end the conflict.</p><ul><li>The U.S. official stated, "Zelensky is misreading the room. By continuing to hit refineries, he is eroding the goodwill that he has built with Trump over the last six months." </li><li>Zelensky expressed surprise at the deal in an interview with Axios, describing it as "not fair and not honest" and an unjust benefit to Putin.</li></ul><p><strong>Details of the Situation:</strong> Ukraine's recent strikes on Russian oil refineries have been reported as effective, contributing to an energy crisis in Russia.</p><ul><li>In response, Russia has imposed a ban on diesel exports, further straining global diesel markets amid ongoing tensions related to the war in Iran.</li><li>Zelensky communicated to Trump and his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, that he would consider halting attacks on Russian refineries if Russia ceased its attacks on Ukrainian power plants.</li><li>The U.S. official indicated that Trump wanted Ukraine to stop its attacks on Russian refineries, citing concerns that these actions were contributing to rising gas prices in the U.S.</li><li>Trump reportedly did not view the attacks on refineries as comparable to Russian strikes on Ukraine's power grid, according to the U.S. official.</li></ul><p><strong>Negotiations:</strong> During eight hours of discussions in Miami, Witkoff and Kushner informed a Ukrainian negotiating team that Trump was expected to speak with Putin and consider lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports.</p><ul><li>The U.S. officials conveyed that Trump decided to proceed with the deal after Ukraine disregarded multiple requests to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, which were impacting U.S. consumers.</li><li>A Ukrainian official alleged that during the talks, Witkoff and Kushner threatened to cut off U.S. intelligence support to Ukraine if it continued its attacks. However, the U.S. official denied such a threat was made, asserting that the U.S. remains a strong partner providing support to Ukraine.</li><li>The U.S. official stated, "The attacks on the refineries cause pain in Russia, but it causes pain for the U.S., too." </li></ul><p><strong>Recent Developments:</strong> The crisis surrounding the diesel deal emerged following constructive talks between U.S. mediators and Ukrainian and European diplomats in Miami.</p><ul><li>The discussions focused on finalizing security guarantees from the U.S., Europe, and NATO for Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement.</li><li>New proposals regarding territorial solutions were also introduced.</li><li>Witkoff and Kushner presented a postwar package for Ukraine, which included funding for reconstruction and military rebuilding, as well as strategies to address budget deficits caused by the war.</li><li>Additionally, the participants discussed a roadmap for Ukraine's future relationship with the EU and NATO after the conflict.</li><li>Witkoff and Kushner also mentioned the possibility of establishing a Europe-Russia postwar security framework.</li></ul><p><strong>Future Actions:</strong> Witkoff and Kushner are contemplating visits to Moscow and Kyiv next week to discuss peace proposals, although the recent tensions may affect these plans.</p><ul><li>The U.S. official remarked, "Putin is hitting [Ukraine] hard but we think he is open to a discussion on ending the war. We want to work on a new proposal that will be good enough for him in order to get him to stop." </li></ul><p><strong>Current Status:</strong> During a 90-minute phone call with Trump, Putin did not commit to resuming peace talks with Ukraine, as reported by his foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov.</p><ul><li>Ushakov noted that Ukrainian strikes on Moscow and other cities during the Russian parliamentary elections disrupted the possibility of immediate negotiations.</li><li>He stated, "The president said, we will think about when these negotiations can be resumed." </li></ul>