Trump's frustration over Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure has pushed US-Ukraine relations sharply downward. Kyiv refuses to halt the strikes, while Washington has moved to let Russian diesel reach global markets. Peace talks continue without tangible results.
Relations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy took a sharp downward turn in recent weeks, with each leader openly criticizing the other. Kyiv's supporters fear the crisis could threaten vital US support going forward.
Diesel prices drive Trump's anger
Trump's current frustration centers on Kyiv's attacks on Russian diesel infrastructure. Diesel prices have hit record highs since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran in February, and Republican lawmakers face voter anger over inflation ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
On September 13, Trump began publicly calling on Ukraine to stop targeting diesel infrastructure. The following week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was also concerned that Ukraine had hit US-linked oil shipments.
Washington opens the door to Russian diesel
Ukraine has refused to halt the strikes. It says its long-range drone campaign is its only viable response to nearly five years of Russian bombardment.
Angered by Zelenskiy's defiance, Trump on October 9 announced a deal to buy diesel from Moscow. He issued a temporary general license that allows Russian diesel to reach the global market and waived sanctions on Russia authorized by a bill he signed into law in September.
Zelenskiy has said US counterparts threatened Ukrainian military officials with a cutoff of intelligence sharing if the energy strikes continued. A US official familiar with the situation disputed Kyiv's account and said there has been no increase in pressure on Ukraine.
Peace talks yield no tangible results
Peace efforts have continued but so far have not yielded tangible results. At talks in Oslo on October 20, Jared Kushner repeated Trump's demand that Ukraine stop attacking Russian diesel refineries.
The next day, envoy Witkoff met Putin in St. Petersburg, and Putin agreed to release detained American Stephen Hubbard. Zelenskiy said on Friday that negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US would meet in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November.
Source: Reuters via Investing.com
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