Russia will show "gratitude" for diesel with further terror in Ukraine, not peace – Zelenskyy on US decision
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that easing US sanctions on Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement only gives it free rein to continue its terror.
He wrote this on social media, Censor.NET reports.
Ukraine’s response
Zelenskyy said that a bipartisan US congressional delegation visited Kyiv today. He thanked them for visiting at such a difficult time. The Americans asked what was needed to end the war.
According to the president, the response must be strong. Sanctions under Lindsey Graham’s law, support for Ukraine in protecting lives, and pressure on Russia over the war are needed. He also mentioned the conversation between the US and Russian leaders, which he said "leads in a different direction."
Zelenskyy recalled the EU’s recent decision to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs. According to him, Russian strikes and abuse of people have only increased since then.
This week alone, according to the president, there was a missile strike on a house in Pryluky, aerial bomb strikes on city buses in Kramatorsk, and constant attacks on Kyiv’s energy facilities and infrastructure in Dnipro, Kharkiv and Odesa. He reported dozens killed and hundreds wounded.
Zelenskyy said that the Russians are using terror to compensate for their inability to achieve their objectives on the front line. In his view, Russia is at its weakest this year since the start of the war, so Putin is relying on terror and behind-the-scenes agreements to ease pressure in order to buy time for the war.
"Reciprocal de-escalation steps"
"Any easing of sanctions on Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia is an obvious sign of weakness. It plays into Russia’s hands, enabling it to kill more, wage war longer, respect America even less and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world," he stressed.
According to him, Ukraine is ready to take reciprocal de-escalation steps, and the US team is aware of this position. The president described strikes on Russian oil refineries and other oil facilities as a response to Russia’s years-long campaign of terror against Ukraine’s energy sector.
"Ukraine will not set Russia’s oil refining facilities ablaze if Russia does not destroy our energy infrastructure. This is precisely the agreement we are proposing to America, and we believe the United States has sufficient power to achieve such a compromise," he wrote.
"An investment in war"
According to him, Russia will "repay" the diesel concession with further terror and treachery.
"Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will 'repay' the diesel concession with further terror and treachery. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged. Real de-escalation with Russia is needed, on a reciprocal basis," the president said.
He also said that he was counting on fair US support in protecting people in Ukraine and on a "strong, not weak" conversation between Washington and Russia.
Background
- On October 9, US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Russian dictator Putin and reached an agreement on supplies of diesel fuel from Russia to US and global markets.
- According to him, Russia will "immediately" supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to US and global markets, another 500,000 tonnes during November, and a further one million tonnes "immediately after that."
- As a reminder, against the backdrop of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, the Russian authorities have repeatedly extended a ban on diesel fuel exports until at least the end of October.
- The US president publicly said that Ukraine should stop its strikes on Russia’s energy sector because they allegedly cause diesel fuel shortages. According to him, the shortage arose specifically because of the war in Ukraine, rather than the US war against Iran.
- Other US politicians have made similar statements. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s energy sector were causing an energy crisis. He cited the war with Iran as the second cause of the crisis.
