Zelenskyy Says Russia Answered US Diesel Deal With Deadly Strikes on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia has "thanked" US President Donald Trump for a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase large quantities of Russian diesel by carrying out deadly strikes on civilians. Zelenskyy portrays the agreement as indirectly helping to fund Moscow's war against Ukraine.

Trump announced the deal on Friday, saying it was needed to bring down diesel prices. Fuel costs are a key issue for voters ahead of the US midterm elections in November. Kyiv appeared to be caught off guard, as Ukrainian negotiators were in Miami for peace talks when the announcement was made.

Zelenskyy called the deal a "gift" to Putin. He said Russia would use the revenue from fuel sales to invest in its war, and that "any easing of sanctions" would allow it "to kill more, wage war for longer".

Attacks on Zaporizhzhia

Hours later, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian strikes on the south-east in the early hours of Saturday had killed 15 people, including three children. Zelenskyy said on social media that five glide bombs had been dropped on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia. Kyiv also saw large-scale power outages, according to the country's largest private energy provider.

Kremlin and European reactions

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov described the Trump–Putin call as "very substantive and friendly", adding that the two hung up simultaneously.

The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said the deal gives Moscow more revenue to wage war. She added that on Monday EU foreign ministers intend to approve the biggest set of sanctions listings against Russia since the war began, formally adding 1,600 new individuals and entities. German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said Berlin remains committed to the sanctions and to supporting Ukraine. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed regret over the US agreement.

Zelenskyy promised that Russia would face a response and said Ukraine was ready to take "de-escalatory steps" if Russia did the same. In the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, the Russian-installed governor, Leonid Pasechnik, said Ukrainian attacks over the past 24 hours had killed four civilians and wounded five.