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UK PM Burnham will try to "mend ties" between Zelenskyy and Trump
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would try to "mend ties" between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Censor.NET reports, citing The Guardian.
Details
Burnham made the statement ahead of a scheduled meeting with Zelenskyy at his official residence in Downing Street.
"My job in this role is to try to mend ties so that support resumes. So right now I need to be careful and lay the groundwork for bringing people back together. That is the role I intend to play," the UK prime minister said.
The meeting is expected to take place this afternoon. The Ukrainian president is also due to meet King Charles III.
Background
As previously reported, Zelenskyy arrived in the UK on October 14 for a visit.
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.
