Trump Lifts Russian Diesel Sanctions After Zelensky Rebuffs US Appeals on Refinery Strikes, Sparking Kyiv Backlash

President Trump approved a sanctions waiver allowing Russia to export diesel fuel to global markets following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to ignore multiple U.S. requests to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, according to a U.S. official cited by Axios. The move, announced after a phone call between Trump and Vladimir Putin, provides for immediate shipments of over 300,000 tons of Russian diesel, followed by additional volumes in November and beyond, in an effort to ease U.S. fuel prices strained by the Ukraine war and conflict with Iran. Axios reported that Zelensky had rebuffed roughly six U.S. entreaties to pause the refinery attacks, which Kyiv views as leverage against Russian energy infrastructure but which Washington sees as contributing to higher diesel costs for American consumers. Trump reportedly sought a unilateral Ukrainian halt rather than a reciprocal energy ceasefire, rejecting equivalence between refinery strikes and Russian attacks on Ukrainian power plants.

The announcement came as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held eight hours of talks in Miami with Ukrainian negotiators and European allies to advance peace proposals. Zelensky accused the U.S. of using the Ukrainian team as a "smokescreen" for backchannel dealings with Moscow, calling the deal "not fair and not honest" and a "happy birthday present for Putin" in comments to Axios and Politico. He argued it would provide additional funding for Russia's war effort without securing concessions on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Multiple outlets, including The Guardian, Reuters, BBC, CNN, and Kyiv Post, confirmed the details of the deal, Zelensky's reaction, and the underlying tensions over refinery strikes that had previously drawn public comment from Trump.

The episode highlights a deepening rift in U.S.-Ukraine relations, with Kyiv prioritizing symmetric de-escalation on energy targets while Washington prioritizes immediate relief for domestic fuel markets. Russia subsequently moved to lift its own diesel export restrictions in response. Analysts note the volumes involved represent only a modest fraction of global or U.S. demand, limiting the deal's price impact but signaling a policy shift away from maximum pressure on Russian energy revenues.