EU leaders will ask Zelenskyy to be less critical of Trump, - FT
During their meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on October 16, European Union leaders will urge him to tone down his criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Financial Times reports this, citing three unnamed officials familiar with the meeting’s plans, according to Censor.NET.
What is known?
According to the publication, EU leaders were surprised by Zelenskyy’s remarks directed at Trump, so they will ask him to tone down his criticism.
"That may be true, but it’s not always necessary to say it out loud," said the source.
The article also notes that, against the backdrop of instability in transatlantic relations, many EU leaders plan to take a more critical stance toward Zelenskyy’s remarks, while at the same time reaffirming their support for Ukraine.
The message from EU leaders will be "empathetic, yet firm," the authors noted.
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.
