Trump calls for new Ukrainian president over Russian diesel deal dispute

Diesel deal announced on Friday

On Friday Trump said on Truth Social that he had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin for large diesel deliveries from Russia, according to 20 Minuten. The first shipment was described as more than 300,000 tonnes to the United States, followed by 500,000 tonnes in November, then one million tonnes and three million tonnes more. RTBF reported different figures, saying the Russian government first authorized exports of 500,000 tonnes and told its oil companies to conclude fuel supply contracts with foreign partners quickly. The timing is politically sensitive because US fuel prices have jumped since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran on 28 February, and midterm elections are next month. Trump had signed new sanctions against Russia only the previous month, which 20 Minuten notes made the deal stand in sharp contrast to earlier US pressure on Moscow.

The Kremlin described the Friday evening call between Trump and Putin, which Trump initiated, as focused mostly on resolving the Ukraine crisis. Dmitry Peskov said Putin had shown great understanding for some US proposals on de-escalation.

Kyiv's response and Trump's demand

Zelensky criticised the announcement on X and said that any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement was a sign of weakness.

Any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement is an obvious weakness.

Zelensky said the move would let Moscow continue the war for longer and lose respect for the United States. He also cited 78 people killed and 215 injured in Ukraine over the preceding days, and said Russia had thanked Washington for the sanctions relief by launching five guided bombs at residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainska Pravda, cited by ANSA, put the Zaporizhzhia death toll at at least 15, including three children.

On Saturday at the White House, Trump said it was time for Ukraine to have a new president. He said that had he been president in 2022, the war would never have started.

I suggest they get a new leader who can reach an agreement, because he could have made many deals and for some reason never does.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha backed Zelensky and said that only Ukrainians decide who leads their country.

Intelligence threat and Miami talks

The Financial Times reported, citing sources, that the United States threatened to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine unless Kyiv stops striking Russian oil refineries. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner raised that option at a meeting in Miami with Ukrainian and European negotiators, a session planned for two days that ended early on the decision of the Ukrainian team. Axios, citing sources, reported that Trump decided to conclude the diesel deal after Zelensky ignored repeated American requests to stop attacking refineries. A US official said Zelensky was misjudging the situation and that continued refinery strikes were jeopardizing the trust and willingness Trump had shown over the previous six months. The Trump administration wanted Ukraine to halt the attacks unilaterally because they were pushing up energy prices in the United States.

Europe and the UK respond

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that the easing of sanctions on Russian diesel finances the war.

Russian attacks have killed more than 80 Ukrainian civilians in two days.

Kallas said EU foreign ministers intended to approve on Monday the largest package of sanctions listings against Russia's war machine since the start of the war. The UK prime minister spoke with Zelensky by phone on Saturday and said he would tighten sanctions against Russia, according to the UK prime minister's office. The two leaders are due to meet in person within days.