US President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to cause problems for the United States and the world. He linked his words to the Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and their impact on diesel fuel supplies and prices.
„He wants to cause problems for the world. He wants to cause problems for our farmers because of diesel fuel, because Russia supplies a significant part of diesel worldwide“, Trump told reporters.
The statement comes a day after the US president announced an agreement with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on diesel fuel supplies. According to the parameters announced by Trump, Russia must immediately send over 300,000 tons to the US and world markets. Another 500,000 tons are expected in November, followed by 1 million tons and then an additional 3 million tons later.
Trump presented the deal as a measure to limit high costs for American farmers, truckers and other diesel users. The average price in the United States reached a record $6.53 a gallon on September 22 and was near $6.28 on Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Experts doubt effect on prices
Energy experts, quoted by the Associated Press, said that the Russian supplies are unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in diesel prices. They say the fuel could be redirected from other customers to the US market without significantly changing the total amount on the world market.
Diesel prices have been under pressure due to disrupted supplies and limited refinery capacity. Russia banned diesel exports in July after Ukrainian attacks on its refineries. According to CNN, the promised first quantities would cover approximately one and a half days of US consumption, and analysts question whether Moscow actually has all the announced volumes.
Kyiv called the deal a gift to Moscow
Zelensky said the agreement between Trump and Putin was a “weak solution” and warned that revenue from fuel exports could help Russia continue the war. According to him, any easing of pressure on Moscow is seen as a sign that the Russian leadership may continue its attacks on Ukrainian cities.
According to a US official quoted by “Axios“, Trump made the decision after several requests to Ukraine to stop the attacks on Russian oil refineries. The official claims that the attacks have contributed to the fuel shortage in Russia and have put pressure on the world market. The Ukrainian side has stated its readiness to stop the attacks on the refineries if the Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure cease.
The agreement was announced at a time when Ukrainian and American representatives were holding talks in Miami on possible steps towards ending the war. It remains to be seen whether the dispute over Russian diesel supplies will affect planned diplomatic contacts between Washington, Kiev and Moscow.
Sources: apnews.com, axios.com