Trump Pressured Ukraine To Unilaterally Halt Strikes On Russian Oil Refineries Axios

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Axios reported this, citing a U.S. official familiar with the situation, Ukrinform says.

According to the report, Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries have been highly effective in recent months, triggering an energy crisis in Russia. In response, Russia banned diesel fuel exports, increasing pressure on global markets already facing disruptions caused by the war in Iran.

Zelensky told Trump and his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, that Ukraine was ready to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Russia, for its part, stopped attacking Ukrainian power plants.

According to the U.S. official, Trump insisted that Ukraine halt the strikes unilaterally because they were contributing to higher gasoline prices in the United States. At the same time, the White House chief did not consider strikes on Russian oil refineries equivalent to Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

“President Trump decided to make a diesel fuel deal with Russia after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ignored half a dozen U.S. requests to stop attacking Russian oil refineries,” the source told Axios.

In an interview with Axios following the announcement of the deal, Zelensky said it came as a surprise to him. The Ukrainian President called it“not fair and not honest” and an unjustified gift to Putin, according to the publication.

The report says that during eight hours of talks in Miami on Friday, Witkoff and Kushner told the Ukrainian delegation that Trump planned to speak with Putin and lift sanctions on Russian diesel fuel exports after Ukraine ignored repeated requests to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries, which had a direct impact on American consumers.

The publication notes that, according to a Ukrainian official, Witkoff and Kushner“threatened that Trump could cut off Ukraine from U.S. intelligence if it continued to ignore his requests.”

At the same time, a U.S. official said Witkoff and Kushner emphasized that the United States was a reliable partner providing Ukraine with ammunition and intelligence, and that Kyiv should therefore refrain from actions that harm American consumers.

During the talks, Witkoff and Kushner presented a package of measures for Ukraine's postwar period. It included mechanisms to finance the country's reconstruction and military development, as well as proposals to cover the budget deficit caused by the war. The participants also discussed a roadmap for Ukraine's accession to the EU and Kyiv's future relations with NATO after the war.

In addition, Witkoff and Kushner raised the possibility of creating a postwar security system between Europe and Russia that would satisfy both sides.

The U.S. mediators briefed Ukrainian and European representatives on possible energy deals with Russia. According to the official, Washington hopes these agreements will help lower energy prices and encourage Moscow to make concessions in peace talks.

The source told Axios that Witkoff and Kushner were considering visiting Moscow and Kyiv next week to discuss peace proposals. However, it remains unclear how the dispute that arose on Friday will affect their plans.

“Putin is hitting [Ukraine] hard but we think he is open to a discussion on ending the war. We want to work on a new proposal that will be good enough for him in order to get him to stop,” the U.S. official said.

Read also: Zelensky: Ukrainian negotiating team used as“smokescreen” amid US-Russia diesel dea

As reported by Ukrinform, on October 9, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Russia, with U.S. approval, would supply 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the global market and significantly increase its exports going forward.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that gifts to Putin would not contribute to peace or benefit the civilized world, warning that Russia would“repay” them with further terror and treachery.

Photo: The White House

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