U S. President Donald Trump announced an energy agreement with Russian President to import Russian diesel after Ukrainian President repeatedly ignored U.S. requests to stop attacking Russian oil refineries.
Earlier a furious Zelensky hit a key oil hub hours after Trump blindsided him by agreeing to lift sanctions on Russian oil – just weeks before America goes to the polls in the mid-terms.
Trump earlier announced a deal with Putin which will see almost two million tons of Russian oil be imported to the US, as the president seeks to shore up his ratings amid rising fuel costs.
He is facing increasing backlash from voters over his war with Iran, which has helped diesel prices soar from $3.68 per gallon a year ago to $6.28 by Friday.
He reportedly decided to seal the agreement with the Russian dictator after Zelensky did not agree to his requests to stop strikes on oil infrastructure.
A US official told Axios: ‘Zelensky is misreading the room. By continuing to hit refineries, he is eroding the good will that he has built with Trump over the last six months.’
Ukraine’s success at targeting the industry in Russia has caused a crisis for Putin, but the nation does still have surplus diesel it can spare.
In the immediate aftermath of the Trump-Putin call, the Kremlin staged a new strike on sleeping Ukrainian civilians in Zaporizhzhia killing seven including at least three children, all girls, with ten wounded and 16 ‘missing’.
It brings the total to almost 90 civilians killed by Russia in three days.
