“Birthday gift to Putin”: The US could have been preparing to lift sanctions on Russian diesel for a long time
фото: Reuters
Ukrainian officials suspect that the administration of US President Donald Trump was preparing to lift sanctions on Russian diesel fuel even before the talks in Miami. Kyiv said that Washington’s decision came as a surprise to the Ukrainian and European delegations and could damage the prospects for an energy truce.
This is reported by Kyiv Independent .
According to one Ukrainian official, the Ukrainian delegation did not know the details of the US decision until it was announced during a meeting that also included European representatives.
“Not only was our delegation there, but also the European one. Everyone was just sitting there like fools,” the source told the publication.
Kyiv suggests that Washington could have agreed with Moscow in advance on the terms of easing sanctions while Ukrainian and European officials continued to discuss the parameters of an energy truce.
“It felt like a trap,” the source said.
One of the Ukrainian officials also drew attention to the fact that the US Treasury Department set the deadline for the decision on Russian diesel fuel until April 7. In his opinion, this may indicate prior preparation of such a step.
“They lifted the sanctions by April 7… So, they were preparing this by October 7. This is a birthday present for Putin. They are counting down these 6 months,” the source said.
Ukrainian officials believe Washington’s decision could undermine prospects for an energy truce, with one calling the move a “highly unwise way” to bury the initiative.
At the same time, the publication’s interlocutors ironically noted that they hope for no further military assistance from Russia to protect its oil refineries.
“The Americans will not give them Patriot to protect their oil refineries,” the source said.
Ukrainian officials have also linked the Trump administration’s decision to the war against Iran. In their opinion, the US president is trying to reduce political pressure due to the consequences of this war for Americans ahead of the election.
“And yet he is the one who dragged everyone into the war in Iran — a war with no way out — and is selling us out… Just to get a temporary, deceptive reprieve a few weeks before the election. […] It is obvious that Trump does not want to admit that it was his war against Iran that caused so many problems for Americans,” the publication quotes senior Ukrainian officials.
As is known, the negotiations involving representatives of Ukraine, Europe, and the United States, which took place in Miami, ended earlier than planned. The second day of the meetings was canceled.
Earlier, Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky reported that a Ukrainian delegation would hold talks with the United States on October 9 and 10. At the same time, he called on Washington to increase economic pressure on Russia, rather than discuss future cooperation with it.
Recall that US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the supply of Russian diesel fuel to the American and world markets. According to him, Russia should immediately supply more than 300 thousand tons of fuel, and later – several million more tons.
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