Zelenskyy calls Trump’s lifting of Russian diesel sanctions ‘weak’

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel “weak”. Trump said he had reached a deal with Vladimir Putin for Russia to sell the fuel to the United States.

The US administration will allow global purchases of Russian diesel for six months. Trump thanked Putin for the agreement, reached ahead of the US midterm elections.

The decision drew criticism from both parties. Republican Don Bacon said supporting Putin’s war economy was morally wrong, while Democrat Elizabeth Warren called the arrangement a betrayal of Ukraine, European allies and US national security.

Republicans criticise the Russia deal

Republican congressman Michael McCaul said he understood the desire to lower diesel prices but feared that lifting the sanctions would fund the Kremlin’s war machine and encourage further violence.

Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren, Jeanne Shaheen and Chuck Schumer described Trump’s move as a “total betrayal” of Ukraine, European allies and US security. Chris Van Hollen said buying Russian diesel would finance Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy had been meeting Republican senators to discuss tougher sanctions on Russia when Trump announced the agreement with Putin.

Trump is also facing criticism over a Pentagon plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former US Army major convicted over the 2009 Fort Hood attack. The attack killed 13 people.

Democrats and Republicans, including Mark Warner, Tom Barrett, Lisa Murkowski and Michael Baumgartner, opposed a public broadcast. Vice-President JD Vance said he did not know whether the livestream “is actually going to happen”, while Trump said no final decision had been made.