Trump does not blame Russia for violating "energy truce": "Ukraine attacked many facilities"
US President Donald Trump declined to acknowledge that Russia had violated the "energy truce" he announced on October 11. In his view, it was Ukraine that had attacked "many facilities" in Russia the day before.
Trump made the remarks to reporters on Tuesday, October 13, Censor.NET reports.
"Ukraine attacked many facilities"
Reporters asked Trump to comment on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement that Russian forces had struck six Ukrainian energy facilities on October 12 alone.
"Well, Ukraine attacked many facilities the day before that," the US leader replied.
He also promised to say later whether Russia had violated the "energy truce."
Who wants peace more?
Trump was also asked why he was "so confident" that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin wanted to end the war more than Zelenskyy did.
The US president said this was based solely on the negotiations.
"My whole life has been about making deals. I think Putin wants to… I suppose I think they both want to end the war," he said.
Trump added that both leaders wanted to end the war but did not know how to achieve that.
"There is very intense hatred between them. They both want to end the war, but they don’t know how to do it. We will help them get there," the US president added.
US-Russia diesel deal and threats against Ukraine
- On October 9, US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Russian dictator Putin and reached an agreement on Russian diesel supplies to US and global markets.
- According to him, Russia would "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."
- The US Treasury Department announced that, at Trump’s direction, the Office of Foreign Assets Control was immediately issuing a temporary general license authorizing Russian diesel supplies to the global market.
- In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called permission for Russia to sell petroleum products an "investment in war" and urged the US to hold firm talks with Moscow and impose sanctions under Lindsey Graham’s legislation.
- Axios reported that, during talks in Miami, US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had allegedly warned the Ukrainian side that access to US intelligence could be cut off if Ukraine continued striking Russian oil refineries.
- On October 11, President Zelenskyy said Ukraine would be ready to halt strikes on Russian refineries if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
- That same day, US President Donald Trump announced the start of an energy truce between Ukraine and Russia.
- In comments to Axios, Zelenskyy said US President Donald Trump’s announcement of the start of an "energy truce" had come as a surprise to the Ukrainian side.
- The president later said Ukraine was ready to refrain from striking Russia’s energy sector provided Russia took similar steps.
