The agreement between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on exporting Russian diesel to the global market has sparked strong reactions in Ukraine and concern over a possible erosion of US support, according to a report cited by multiple media outlets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters: “I think our team is just being used as a cover. That is definitely not fair,” expressing dissatisfaction with the agreement, which was announced during talks between Ukrainian, American, and European representatives in Miami.
American portal Axios, as reported by DW, states that in Kyiv the agreement is interpreted as a response to the Ukrainian leadership’s refusal to halt attacks on Russian refineries. Trump, as further quoted, said that for Ukraine “it is time to get a new leader who could make a deal,” which further intensified the debate over US policy toward Kyiv.
Experts from Ukraine are considering various scenarios: Mykhailo Honchar from the “Strategy XXI” Center recalls last year’s conflict in the White House and says that interruptions in cooperation were not permanent, while Ivan Us from the National Institute for Strategic Studies believes that Trump’s statements are linked to the election campaign and that not everything should be interpreted literally.
Some interlocutors warn of possible legal challenges in the US: Republican Senator Thom Tillis told NBC that the decision could be questioned due to a 2022 law banning the import of Russian energy products. At the same time, Kyiv is considering how to diplomatically and logistically complicate diesel deliveries to the US.
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