“If the president of the United States wants to make a diesel deal, he should make it with Ukraine, not Russia,”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued that sharp rebuke during the Warsaw Security Forum on October 12. “If there are such actions, then why doesn’t America conclude a ‘diesel deal’ with Ukraine? Let Ukraine propose a ‘diesel deal.’ We influence whether these ships move. We determine whether the refineries work,” he added.
The Economics of the Moscow-Washington Diesel Deal
President Trump announced on October 9 that he had secured an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import 300,000 tons of diesel fuel. Plans call for scaling those shipments to 500,000 tons in November, eventually reaching 4.8 million tons, according to reports from LEAGUE and Korrespondent.net. President Trump further claimed that “considering the state of Russian refineries, Russia will then supply another 3 million tons of fuel in a short time.”
Zelenskyy dismissed the economic logic of the deal. He noted that the volume of fuel promised by Moscow—between 300,000 and 500,000 tons per month—is negligible compared to the global monthly consumption of 120 million tons. Korrespondent.net reported that Zelenskyy questioned the necessity of the U.S. negotiating with Moscow at all, calling the decision “investments in war” and warning that Russia would “pay back” for the diesel with further terror. Zelenskyy also accused the U.S. of dishonest behavior, alleging that Washington used the Ukrainian negotiation team currently in Florida “as a screen.”
A Contested Truce Amid Ongoing Strikes
The friction intensified on October 11 when President Trump declared an “energy truce” between Ukraine and Russia. The status of this supposed agreement is highly contested.
The Financial Times reported that a high-ranking Ukrainian official stated Kyiv had no prior knowledge of such an agreement. Journalist Barak Ravid noted that Zelenskyy described the announcement as news to him, though he expressed a willingness to observe a truce if Russia formally commits. Despite Trump’s declaration, Korrespondent.net reported that a Russian strike hit energy infrastructure in Kyiv shortly before the announcement, causing power outages. Zelenskyy maintained that any pause in Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure is contingent on a reciprocal guarantee to protect Ukraine’s own electrical grid. He noted that uninterrupted electricity is “also help to Europe,” as Ukraine is connected to the European grid and could assist other nations if its own infrastructure remains unattacked.
European Anxiety Over U.S. Reliability
The public sparring has left European officials unsettled. The Financial Times reported that some diplomats are "shuddering" at the escalation, fearing the rift could jeopardize regional security. Political circles in Europe are currently split: some argue that maintaining U.S. involvement is preferable to total abandonment, while others urge a reduction in reliance on Washington.
Elections and the Reality of War
Beyond energy, President Trump has publicly called for elections to be held in Ukraine. Zelenskyy stated that elections are a national security matter that could only proceed if the country secures a 60-day ceasefire to protect infrastructure—a condition that remains unmet. “Every hour, Iranian ‘Shaheds’ attack us… and we are talking about thousands of drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles—how can people vote?” Zelenskyy asked. He added that if the U.S. president wants to change the leader in Ukraine, he should know that only the Ukrainian people can do so. LEAGUE reported that Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, has backed the position that conducting elections during active warfare is not feasible.
Zelenskyy also rejected the claim that his military’s strikes on Russian refineries are driving global diesel price fluctuations.
Related reading
- Dr. John Lahey to Headline Irish Workhouse Centre Benefit in New York
- Petersburg Man Joseph Nathaniel Hartman Sentenced to 120 Months
- Russia's Diesel Pledge vs. U.S. Demand: 4.8 Million Tons, 10 Days (daybreakwire.com)
- NATO Warns Russia: Alliance Will Destroy Supporting Forces in Any Attack (archyde.com)