US President Donald Trump said he did not want to push Russia out of talks to end the war in Ukraine. He defended his approach to Moscow and explained that he did not want to sign new sanctions if it could force the Kremlin to withdraw from the diplomatic process.
“Significant progress is being made in efforts to end the war“, Trump wrote on his social network. The US president added that there are also ongoing negotiations for hostages, but did not specify which people or countries are involved.
“Signing this document now would push Russia away from the negotiating table. I can sign it later or whenever I want“, Trump said.
Accusations against Zelensky
In the same message, Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting to end the war. He linked his claim to the financial support that Ukraine receives from Europe and which it received from the administration of former US President Joe Biden.
“He does not want to end this war and probably never did“, Trump wrote.The American president also said that two years ago, Zelensky could have concluded a more advantageous agreement. According to him, Ukraine has suffered heavy territorial and human losses, and the country is “in ruins“.
Trump again criticized Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. According to him, Kiev is targeting facilities that produce diesel fuel, despite Washington's calls for the attacks to be stopped.
He said the strikes were damaging global diesel markets, including the US market, and that farmers, ranchers and businesses were affected. Trump also said that Russia continues to supply millions of barrels of diesel fuel at low prices.
Diesel and the pressure on the White House
Trump's statements come against the backdrop of a sharp rise in fuel prices related to the war with Iran. At the same time, the US president is under political pressure ahead of the congressional elections.
About a week and a half ago, Trump announced that Russia would supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel to the US and world markets. Washington temporarily suspended sanctions on Russian fuel, and Moscow partially lifted its ban on diesel exports. Initial deliveries have already been announced, but their exact scale remains unclear.
The US is trying to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, but so far there has been no breakthrough that would lead to an end to the war. According to Trump, keeping Russia at the negotiating table is the reason Washington is postponing new sanctions.
Sources: bta.bg, unian.net