Trump announces deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel

Washington, USA, October 11, 2026 — US President Donald Trump has announced an agreement under which Russia would release large quantities of diesel onto global markets in exchange for sanctions relief, drawing sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Russian strikes killed at least 15 people, including three children, in Ukraine.

Trump announced the agreement on Friday following a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said the arrangement would help reduce fuel prices in the United States, where gasoline and diesel prices have surged since late February, when the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said diesel prices would be “coming down, in record numbers, and fast.” He later thanked Putin while speaking to reporters.

The announcement prompted an immediate backlash from Kyiv, with Zelensky describing the agreement as “unworthy of our partners” and a “weak decision.”

In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Ukrainian president called for the agreement to be reversed, arguing that easing pressure on Moscow could encourage Russia to prolong its war against Ukraine.

“Russia's choice is war. And they will be ready to end it only when they feel that their ability to drag the war out is diminishing,” Zelensky said.

He added that the signals Russia received following the announcement suggested it could continue attacking Ukraine without facing increased pressure.

“Unfortunately, the signals Russia received yesterday were entirely different — signals suggesting that it could simply keep attacking. This needs to be corrected,” he said.

Deadly Russian strikes intensify criticism

Zelensky's criticism came after Russian attacks on residential neighbourhoods in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least 15 people, including three children, according to Ukrainian authorities.