πΊπΈπΊπ¦ President Trump made the Russian diesel deal after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ignored about six US requests to stop striking Russian oil refineries, a US official reportedly told Axios.
Zelensky told Axios he would have supported easing the sanctions if it had been tied to a mutual halt on energy strikes: "If the price is energy ceasefire, this negotiation is good."
The U.S. official said Trump wanted Ukraine to halt the strikes on its own, without any reciprocal step from Russia, because they were helping drive up US gas prices. Trump didn't consider them equivalent to Russia's attacks on Ukraine's power grid, the official added.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner told Ukrainian negotiators of the plan during eight hours of talks in Miami on Friday, before Trump's call with Vladimir Putin. Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Putin did not commit to resuming peace talks with Ukraine during the 90-minute call.