Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday called Donald Trump’s agreement to accept Russian oil 'unworthy' and 'weak.' The US President had earlier announced that Vladimir Putin agreed to supply diesel fuel to American and global markets to address domestic shortages.
"It is certainly not honest, it is certainly unworthy of our partners, and it is, in my view, a weak decision," Zelensky told reporters. The President’s rhetoric marked a sharp escalation in public disputes between Kyiv and Washington over energy policy.
The timing is awkward. Ukrainian negotiators are scheduled to meet US envoys on Friday and Saturday in the United States. These talks aim to sustain military and political support while the war grinds on.
Kyiv views any direct trade with Moscow as a lifeline for the Russian war machine. The US administration, however, frames the diesel deal as a market correction to lower prices for American consumers.
The delegations will now sit across the table with this new friction openly aired. How the US envoys handle Zelensky’s public rebuke will determine the tone of the next phase of negotiations.