Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to appear on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday morning following a controversial deal announced by President Trump involving Russian diesel exports.
Trump announced Friday via Truth Social that he had concluded a “highly successful discussion” with Russian President Vladimir Putin on supplying diesel to U.S. and global markets.
According to Trump’s post, “Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter.”
The Treasury Department issued a temporary license easing sanctions on Russian diesel exports, giving the agreement immediate regulatory backing.
Zelensky responded sharply to the deal, arguing it would hand the Kremlin additional revenue to fund its ongoing war against Ukraine and undermine active peace negotiations.
In a lengthy post on X, Zelensky wrote: “Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will ‘repay’ the diesel with further terror and perfidy.”
The announcement came while Zelensky’s negotiating team was in Florida for two days of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, discussing a potential ceasefire and a proposal to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.
Zelensky suggested to reporters that the Ukrainian delegation had been used as a “smokescreen” to obscure the administration’s simultaneous agreement with Russia on diesel exports.
In a phone interview with Axios on Friday, Zelensky said Trump’s unilateral decision to lift sanctions and allow Russian diesel exports was “not fair and not honest.”
Trump fired back on Saturday, criticizing Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and calling for his replacement before traveling to Tennessee.
Trump said of Zelensky: “He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers with diesel fuel because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world.”
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska broke with the administration, posting on X that Trump “should be using those authorities instead of allowing Russia to export diesel, rake in revenues, and continue its catastrophic war in Ukraine.”
Murkowski added: “We can discuss Russia’s return to global energy markets once the war is over, but in the meantime, we need to cut off everything fueling it.”
The deal also drew sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York accusing Trump of “making a deal with the devil.”
In September, Trump had signed legislation calling for tariffs of up to 100 percent on top purchasers of Russian energy or on countries helping the Kremlin evade existing sanctions, making the new agreement a striking policy reversal.
The war in Ukraine has continued for more than four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its western neighbor in February 2022.
