Another cynical statement by the Kremlin

From the KyivPost:

"Peskov: Russia Did Not Break Trump’s ‘Energy Truce’ Because Terms Were Never Set

The Kremlin claimed that Russia cannot be accused of breaking US President Donald Trump’s abrupt energy truce because its terms were never set, hours after Russian strikes cut power to at least 600,000 Ukrainian citizens.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made the remarks on Wednesday, Oct. 14, when asked about Russia’s overnight attacks on Ukraine’s power grid.

“The energy truce proposed by Trump was not specified, so it cannot be said that Russia is not complying with it,” Peskov said according to the Russian news outlet Astra.

Moscow names Kyiv, Kharkiv power plants as targets

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its forces used ground-based precision weapons and long-range attack drones against energy and communications facilities it claimed were serving Ukraine’s military and defense industry.

The ministry listed the Darnytsia CHP-4 and CHP-5 combined heat and power plants in Kyiv, as well as CHP-6, the Trypillia thermal power plant and a major electrical substation in Kyiv region.

In the Kharkiv region, the ministry named the Kharkiv CHP-5 and the Zmiiv thermal power plant.

It also claimed to have hit an Ukrssibbank data center, alleging without evidence that it was used to gather intelligence on Russian forces.

Ukrainian authorities confirmed that Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv’s CHP-4 power plant and a nine-story residential building late Tuesday, Oct. 13, killing at least three people and injuring 26, including an eight-year-old child.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 39 missiles and 128 drones in the attack, which began at 6 p.m. local time. Air defenses downed four missiles and 115 drones.

Zelensky continues pressing Washington for sanctions

Zelensky called the strike deliberate, saying it damaged 26 sites in Ukraine’s power system and four oil and gas facilities, and warned of further outages.

“Russia does not view the US President’s statements as strong,” Zelensky said..."

Zelensky: Our people are dying because of Trump's betrayal

From the Telegraph / Yahoo!News:

"Zelensky: I feel betrayed by Trump

Joe Barnes, October 14, 2026

Volodymyr Zelensky said that he felt betrayed by Donald Trump, and warned the US president was not acting on the "right side of history".

"It is a pity that we are losing a strong partner," the Ukrainian leader said on Wednesday amid an escalating public clash with his American counterpart.

Relations between Kyiv and the White House have sharply deteriorated after Mr Trump agreed on Friday to waive sanctions on Russia to import diesel.

The US president has been pressuring Ukraine to halt its strikes on Russian oil refineries, blaming Kyiv – not the Iran war – for rising energy prices. On Saturday he said Ukraine needed "a new president".

In an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky said he would not resign under US pressure.

Asked whether he felt "betrayed" by recent events, he said: "Really, yes, between us. But it's a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings.

"Our country has to survive, and we count on our real partners, strategic partners, the United States and President Trump. They wanted us not to attack. My opinion was, it is not fair."

He suggested Mr Trump's diesel deal with Vladimir Putin was an "attempt to push Ukraine to capitulation" and give up the Donbas region, a concession which the Russian leader has claimed is needed for him to consider ending his invasion.

'People will die'

The US has also threatened to suspend intelligence-sharing to force Ukraine to stop its refinery attacks.

Mr Zelensky claimed on Tuesday that Kyiv had stopped receiving warnings from allies about missile attacks. He also accused Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, of imposing limits on his Starlink technology, which is critical as a communication device for Ukrainian forces on the front line.

"I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely. Because it was 1am at night, Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States," Mr Zelensky said.

Addressing Mr Musk directly, he added: "This decision will bring a lot of human losses. Of course, people will die."

Writing on X, Mr Musk blamed the US government for the restrictions. An official speaking to Axios denied having anything to do with the alleged Starlink restrictions..."

Ukrainian ex-president: Ukraine once placed extraordinary faith in the United States, and now the USA asks it - the victim, to pay the price for the aggressor's crimes

In his Facebook page, former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko turns to the present US president:

"To Donald J. Trump, 45th and 47th President of the United States

From Viktor Yushchenko, 3rd President of Ukraine

 

Mr. President,

 

I write these words without diplomatic formulas or ceremonial language. I write simply, from one human being to another, and from one president to another—two men who understand that there are moments in history when decisions determine not only the fate of nations, but the fate of freedom itself.

 

For Ukrainians, freedom is not an abstraction. It is not a slogan written into a political declaration. Freedom is in our blood. It comes to us through generations — from our Cossack forefathers, from ancestors who valued above all else their liberty, their dignity, and the land God gave them.

 

We are a nation rooted in the soil. Our identity grew from love of our home, our field, our village, our city, our church, our family, and the sky above us. Ukrainians have never sought what belongs to another nation. But neither have we ever willingly surrendered what is ours.

 

Mr. President, look at what is happening in Ukraine right now, at this very moment. Every day and night, our cities shudder under Russian ballistic missiles, Iranian Shahed drones, and aerial bombs. Russia strikes ordinary residential buildings in ancient Kyiv, sleeping neighborhoods in Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and towns across our country. Families are killed in their homes. Millions live under the threat of another siren, another explosion, another night wondering whether their children will still be alive in the morning.

 

And when there is talk of “concessions” or deals with Putin, the Kremlin’s answer is more missiles, more drones, and more bloodshed. Ukrainian families pay the price.

 

Behind every statistic is a human life. A mother buries her child. A child stands beside the grave of a father. A family returns to what was once its home and finds only broken concrete and photographs scattered through the ruins.

 

This is not a distant “conflict.” This is the daily reality of millions of Ukrainians.

 

And against this reality, Ukrainians hear calls that Ukraine should stop. That Ukraine should restrain its strikes against the infrastructure that finances and sustains Russia's war. That trade in Russian energy can somehow be separated from the missiles and drones Russia sends against Ukrainian families. It cannot.

 

Money paid for Russian fuel is not an abstraction called “commerce” It finances an economy geared toward total war. Russia needs resources to wage this unjust war and Ukraine is fighting to deprive Russia of those resources.

 

There is a profound moral difference between the aggressor and the nation defending itself.

 

Mr. President, America knows this distinction better than most nations. It knows how dangerous it is to believe that trade can tame an aggressor or make the threat disappear. History taught us that lesson at a terrible price.

 

Before the United States entered World War II, America traded extensively with Imperial Japan, including in strategically important materials. Washington hoped for years to avoid a wider war in the Pacific. Ultimately, economic pressure and diplomacy could not prevent catastrophe and on December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked.

 

History may not repeat itself exactly, but it does raise the same questions again. What price do free nations pay when aggression is rewarded rather than stopped?

 

Ukraine once placed extraordinary faith in the international order led by the United States. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine inherited one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. In negotiations with our allies, we agreed to give it up. We did so because we believed that a world governed by agreements was safer than a world governed by nuclear weapons.

 

In 1994, the United States of America, along with its partners, signed the Budapest Memorandum, providing Ukraine with official assurances of security, sovereignty, and the inviolability of our borders. They pledged not to threaten or use force against Ukraine. America assumed a moral responsibility toward Ukraine. So how can anyone today, when a treacherous enemy has attacked us, forget America’s signature on this document?

 

Ukraine kept its word. Russia broke its word.

 

That history matters today. Because when a nation gives up the most powerful weapons on Earth in return for international commitments, and is later invaded by one of the very states that made those commitments, the consequences extend far beyond Ukraine.

 

Every nation in the world is watching and asking whether agreements with great powers mean anything. They are asking whether giving up nuclear weapons makes a country safer—or more vulnerable. And they are watching America.

 

Mr. President, our nations are connected by more than treaties and diplomacy. We have stood together many times before. One of the six Marines who raised the American flag at Iwo Jima was Sergeant Michael Strank, whose family came from Lemkivshchyna and who gave his life fighting for the United States. When American and Soviet forces met at the Elbe in April 1945, American Lieutenant William Robertson was first embraced by a Ukrainian boy from the Cherkasy region — Oleksandr Silvashko. Ukrainian soldiers served alongside American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and, today, Ukraine continues to share its hard-won military experience with its American partners, including expertise in countering Iranian-designed drones. Ukrainians and Americans have shed blood together in defense of freedom against tyranny. 

 

Mr. President, above all, there is one thing I want you—and the world—to understand.

 

Do not mistake the Ukrainian desire for peace for a willingness to surrender. The Ukrainian spirit cannot and will not be broken.

 

No people wants peace more than a people whose children are being killed. But peace cannot come by asking the victim to pay the price for the aggressor’s crimes. We cannot agree to a peace that will later cause the deaths of many more of our children and grandchildren.

 

We are a people with deep roots, bound to our land by love, labor, and the spirit of freedom. We will never yield our land willingly to anyone. This is our home, given to us by God. We were here, we are here, and we will always be here. We cannot be intimidated by missiles, and we cannot be forced to surrender.

 

Ukrainian identity has been forged through centuries of attempts to erase it. The Russian empire tried to silence our language, destroy our culture, starve our people, imprison our leaders, and rewrite our history. And still Ukraine survived. We survived because our roots are deep, and because the blood of a free people flows in our veins.

 

Russia can destroy our buildings. It can terrorize our cities. It can kill our people. But it cannot destroy who we are. It cannot compel Ukrainians to cease being Ukrainian.

 

Mr. President, America’s greatness was not built by accommodating tyranny, but by understanding, at decisive moments of its history, that freedom must be defended before the price of defending it becomes immeasurably greater.

 

Ukraine is defending that principle today with the lives of our people.

 

Today, the free world faces questions larger than Ukraine itself: whether borders may be changed by force; whether agreements between nations still have meaning; whether aggression will be rewarded; and whether the free world will stand beside those who choose freedom.

 

One does not negotiate with tyrants—one stops them.

 

Mr. President, I believe America understands this.

 

With faith in truth, freedom, and the honor of the free world,

 

Viktor Yushchenko

 

President of Ukraine 2005-2010"

Civilian Ukrainians killed because Trump withdraws intelligence from Ukraine, hoping that it will capitulate to Putin

From AP / Yahoo!News:

"Zelenskyy says Ukraine received no intelligence from partners about missiles headed to Kyiv

HANNA ARHIROVA and JUSTIN SPIKE, October 13, 2026

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine received no early warning from its partners about five Russian ballistic missiles that hit civilian infrastructure in the capital of Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday, as tensions rise between the Ukrainian leader and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Zelenskyy did not specify which partners he was talking about. He characterized the barrage as "particularly vile" and emphasized that receiving intelligence from partners about such attacks "helps save lives" and is "one of the most critical issues."

"This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed — when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles," he wrote in a post on X...

More missiles struck Kyiv late Tuesday, targeting energy systems. Zelenskyy said again that the country received no early warning from partners.

"It is important that the world does not stay silent about this," he posted on X. "And it is important that the United States really see what is happening and who is responsible for this war continuing."..."

Update - CBS journalist Aidan Stretch on X: 

"NEW: US officials blamed “bad weather” for not warning Ukraine of Russian missile launches overnight which killed 6 and left more than 600,000 without power, sources tell @CBSNews. Ukrainian officials don’t buy the excuse, believing intelligence was withheld on purpose." 

US senators of both parties oppose Trump's deal with Putin

From Politico / Yahoo!News:

"Bipartisan group of senators demands Trump kill Russian diesel deal

Jalen Beckford, October 12, 2026

A bipartisan group of senators is calling on President Donald Trump to "immediately reverse course" on his decision to allow Russian diesel imports, accusing the administration of violating federal law and handing Moscow a financial lifeline as it wages war against Ukraine.

"President Trump's decision to allow Russian diesel imports to the U.S. runs directly counter to that law," the senators said in a statement released Sunday, citing Congress' 2022 ban on Russian energy imports. "The Administration has also failed to consult with Congress or submit any explanation to justify its decision as required by statute."

The rebuke includes four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and John Curtis (Utah) — along with Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.). Shaheen is the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee...

"The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians," the senators wrote. "The Administration must immediately reverse course."

Tillis, a Republican who frequently splits with the Trump administration, had already questioned the deal's legality Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," pointing to the 2022 law's conditions for lifting the import ban, including a full Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.

"I do believe there's a legitimate case for saying the president's not following the law," Tillis said. "We were very clear that Russia is the aggressor. Russia is the one who can end this war by backing out of territory they occupied."..."

Transcript of Trump's incoherent rambling

 RealClearPolitics / Yahoo!News, October 11, 2026:

 "Trump: We Told Zelensky Not To Hit Russian Oil, "What Does He Do? He Hits The Diesel Fuel"

Tim Hains, October 11, 2026

 

"PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Zelensky could have settled this war many times, many, many times, and he chooses not to. It's very difficult.

(It's a war that should have never been started. If I were president, if the election weren't rigged, I would have been president, and that war would have never started.)

But he could have settled it many times, and he chose not to. We said, you can do whatever you want to Russia. Don't hit the refineries because that's a world problem that's caused.

And he wants to make problems for the world. He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers with diesel fuel because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world.

And we told him, do whatever you want, but don't hit the diesel fuel because there's a big problem, big shortage.

And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel.

He can do whatever he wants, but you can't do that because we have a world problem, and the problem is caused by the lack of refineries for diesel fuel.

So what does he do? He goes and hits refineries.

And I said to him, do what you want, don't hit refineries. There's plenty of targets. Don't hit refineries. And he went out and he-and he's not going to affect our farmers, and he's not going to affect our ranchers, and he's not going to affect the rest of the world.

So he'd better damn well stop.

...

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President, [unclear].

TRUMP: Well, I agree with you, and you know what I suggest? I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals, and for some reason he never does.

And let me go a step further. If I were president, you wouldn't have ever had that war. That war would have never started.

There was no reason that that war with Ukraine and Russia started. It started due to incompetence. Should have never started.

You wouldn't have lost 30% of your country already. You've lost 30% of your country, and you've had over a million people killed. Between the two of them, over 2 million people killed.

That's a war that should have never started, and I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president."

 ***

This is supposed to be the leader of the free world, ladies and gentlemen. Which means that not only Ukraine but the entire free world is in big trouble. 

Russia attacked an ambulance

Today (Oct. 11), a Russian drone attacked an ambulance in the Sumi region of Ukraine:

Happily, nobody was killed. The driver (44) and a paramedic (59) were injured. Source: Obozrevatel.

These are the deeds of the country that, according to Trump, wants peace.
 

Zelensky: Trump blames me because he cannot stop Putin, and gives Putin money to kill our children

From ABCNews:

"'This Week' Transcript 10-11-26: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Majority Whip Tom Emmer & Kansas Democratic Senate Candidate Adam Hamilton

This is a rush transcript of "This Week" airing Sunday, October 11.

JONATHAN KARL, ABC “THIS WEEK” CO-ANCHOR:... “THIS WEEK” starts right now...

KARL: This morning, a “THIS WEEK” exclusive. President Zelenskyy responds.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE PRESIDENT: We are defending our sovereignty. It’s our rights. So don’t stop us...

KARL: Good morning. Welcome to “THIS WEEK.”

We have a major exclusive this morning. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy joins us to respond to President Trump’s stunning comments this week about lifting Russian sanctions and calling for a new president of Ukraine...

Up next, a big and important “THIS WEEK” exclusive. Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy responds to President Trump. We’re back in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think you heard about the oil deal with Russia. That is a big deal. That is massive amounts of oil coming into our country, and I want to thank President Putin.

Zelenskyy could have settled this war many times. Many, many times. And he chose -- he chooses not to. And I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president.

(END VIDEO CLIP) (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL: Those stunning comments from President Trump expressing gratitude to Vladimir Putin and calling for a new president for Ukraine came after Trump announced a deal to lift U.S. sanctions and buy diesel fuel from Russia. It's a deal that appears to violate a law Congress passed shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Some experts say the deal would only marginally affect diesel prices here in America, but it could provide billions of dollars to fund Russia's war machine.

And we are joined right now by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, an ABC exclusive. 

President Zelenskyy, thank you for joining. Let me get right to what President Trump just said. What is your response? He says it's time for a new president of Ukraine.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. First of all, good morning and thank you for this dialogue.

So, this week was very difficult for us, not only geopolitically, first of all because of massive attacks, Russian attacks on our civilian infrastructure. So they attacked 196 times our energy sector. It's only electricity, plus 20 times gas and oil. And they killed for now 153 civilians.

So, I think this is an answer what's going on, really what's going on. And it's a signal that Russia doesn't feel real pressure. They want to continue.

About energy, I said it to President Trump, to president's teams, to his team and to his people several times, so we want peace. We are ready for ceasefire. We are ready to begin from any kind of steps of de-escalation. We are ready for energy ceasefire, not to attack energy both sides.

And if the Russians want us not attack their diesel, their refineries and et cetera, we are asking President Trump, give them signal, not attack energy infrastructure of Ukraine. It's fair deal. It's not the best deal. The best deal not -- not to have a war, to stop Putin. But the first step is ceasefire, energy ceasefire.

OK, if they want energy ceasefire, we are open for this. Don't attack us. Don't kill our children. We will stop attack your diesel. And I think it's fair, fair deal.

President Trump said that we need -- Ukraine needs new president. So, first of all, with all respect to President Trump, it's up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader. Yes, we are in war and how to do elections is really difficult. Not only that it goes absolutely not secured and it goes out of our law, out of our constitution, but the main thing is to have security infrastructure for this, to give possibility people to vote.

Of course, it's up to Ukrainians when to vote, how to do it and to choose one or another person. But if to answer -- on this question, I know that Putin wanted very much to change the president in Ukraine. I understand it.

And if President Trump really wants to have some changes in -- during elections, I also shared it with his team.

So please tell Putin, give us two months, 60 days off. Total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organize elections. Of course, we will be ready for any choice of our people, exactly Ukrainian people.

KARL:  It's not just President Trump. We also heard from Elon Musk saying Zelenskyy has gone too far. Why are they blaming you for the continuation of this war?

ZELENSKYY:  Because these people can't find a key how to stop Putin. Because it's more difficult to stop Putin than to pressure others. Because it's more simple to speak about the prices and connect it with Ukraine.

When everybody in the world understands because of the war in Middle East, the prices are rising. They’re increasing. They’re increasing because of the war in Middle East, of the blocking of Hormuz, because of these reasons. Everybody understands it.

And if we want to speak with people fairly, if we want to be clear, if we want to speak with our nations openly, we have to stop -- I mean, people have to hear reality. Don't play games with people.

KARL:  The president has announced this deal. He says to buy diesel fuel from Russia. You've called it a birthday gift to Putin. Explain why.

ZELENSKYY:  Because it gives Putin money and he spends money only on this war. Kill us. Kill our children.

I was this week in one (ph) small city, they killed, they are just attacked the building, no military goals, no, no -- even something close to this building, attacked, killed 22 people, around 60 been wounded. And five children, five children, small children were killed.

And he has a lot of money, much money for this war.

KARL:  How long can Ukraine continue to defend itself? It's been almost five years of war.

ZELENSKYY:  We need to do it, I mean, to stop this war as quick as possible. We count that United States will help us to do this. I hope so.

We count on president, his team involving to stop Putin, but to stop Putin. And I think this is the main goal to stop him. This is the main deal to stop this war.

And we count on American support. Then, and of course, we count on our European partners.

And I hope that we will save this unity, Europe and the United States. It's not simple, by the way, really not simple. We work hardly each day to save this.

But in any way, we will defend ourselves because otherwise, we will lose our life and homes, our freedom, independence, Ukraine. Yeah, we can't lose it. And the truth is on our side.

KARL:  President Zelenskyy, thank you for taking time to talk to us.

ZELENSKYY:  Of course. Thank you so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KARL:  You can watch more of my interview with President Zelenskyy on abcnews.com. Up next, Republican majority whip Tom Emmer. We’re back in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:  But, inexcusably even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products which, as you know, I found out about two weeks ago, and I wasn't happy. Europe has to step it up. They can't be doing what they're doing. They're buying oil and gas from Russia, while they're fighting Russia. It's embarrassing to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL:  Well, that was President Trump speaking at the United Nations almost exactly one year ago, blasting Europe for buying Russian oil. Of course, the president announced on Friday that the U.S. now plans to do exactly the same thing..."

What Ukrainians want from the USA

Ukrainian prosecutor Mykola Golomsha in the Obozrevatel, 09.10.2026:

"[The killed civilians in] Kramatorsk and Pryluky are not a backdrop for oil deals. The Ukrainians who lost their lives are not the price for agreements between Trump and Putin

Kramatorsk. Pryluky. Civilians killed. Yet behind the scenes, Trump’s envoys are negotiating with Putin’s representatives regarding Lukoil’s oil assets and the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Ukrainians are dying, while future revenues involving Russia are already being discussed. This is a level of cynicism that cannot be glossed over.  

While Russian missiles are killing Ukrainians, the Donald Trump administration is seeking opportunities for economic deals with Moscow. However, existing US and EU sanctions create serious legal obstacles to such plans. 

Why, instead of increasing economic pressure on the aggressor, are prospects for its return to the energy business being discussed? 

TRUMP’S POLICY: PRESSURE ON UKRAINE, NOT THE AGGRESSOR 

The Ukrainian authorities are trying not to damage relations with Trump. We understand the importance of American aid, even though it is currently suspended. However, the authorities' diplomatic caution deprives civil society of the right to speak the bitter truth. 

Trump demonstrates a readiness to reach agreements with Putin without making the requirements of international law central to the negotiation process. His negotiators have not made public condemnation of the aggression the foundation of their initiatives, while the negotiation process itself is repeatedly described as being at an impasse. 

Where is the demand for Putin to halt missile strikes on Ukrainian cities? Where is the enforcement of compliance with UN General Assembly resolutions? Where is the guarantee that the aggressor will not be rewarded for the occupation? 

Instead, the world hears talk of negotiations, compromises, and potential business ventures. 

Trump has effectively placed Ukraine and Russia on an unequal footing: telling Ukraine that if it wants its territories back, it must reclaim them, while telling Putin that if he wants Ukrainian lands, he should conquer them. Such logic turns international law into the law of the strong and makes the defense of one’s own territory the sole problem of the victim of aggression. 

This is not neutrality. It is a dangerous endorsement of the aggressor’s logic. 

INTERNATIONAL LAW IS NOT UP FOR BARGAINING 

On March 2, 2022, the UN General Assembly, through Resolution ES-11/1 adopted by 141 votes, condemned Russia's aggression and demanded the withdrawal of its troops from Ukraine. 

This requirement has not vanished due to Trump’s negotiations with Putin. It has not lost its validity because of war fatigue. And it cannot be replaced by an agreement that rewards the aggressor. 

If negotiations are not grounded in international law, and sanctions become a subject of commercial bargaining, the entire international security system is threatened. 

OUR DEMANDS 

1. To the U.S. Congress: ensure strict oversight of the administration's policy regarding Russia, prevent the circumvention of sanctions, and advance sanctions measures—specifically, the initiatives of Lindsey Graham. 

2. To the Trump administration: halt the policy of making economic concessions to Moscow without a genuine end to the aggression. There must be no return to business as usual for the Russian energy sector at the expense of Ukraine’s security. 

3. To the US and European partners: step up military aid to Ukraine—particularly in air defense, ammunition, and the assets needed to protect people and critical infrastructure. Sanctions must curtail Russia’s ability to wage war, while aid to Ukraine must strengthen its capacity to defend itself. 

4. To the UN General Assembly: demand the implementation of adopted resolutions, step up international pressure on Russia, and utilize UN Charter mechanisms—specifically the "Uniting for Peace" procedure—whenever the Security Council is blocked by a Russian veto. 

5. To the Ukrainian authorities: do not prioritize the desire to retain Washington’s favor over national interests. Going forward, publicly and consistently declare that Ukraine’s territories, sovereignty, and right to self-defense are not for sale and cannot be traded for political promises. 

6. To the civil society of Ukraine: unite your efforts and demand concrete solutions—not just more declarations—from American lawmakers, European governments, and the UN. 

ENOUGH! 

Enough silence while prospects for future profits are built upon Ukrainian blood and ruins. 

Enough fear of calling a dangerous policy dangerous simply because it is being pursued by the US President. 

We are grateful to the American people for their support, as well as to all the congressmen, senators, public figures, artists, and actors who stand with Ukraine. We oppose policies that pressure Ukraine—without compelling Putin to halt his aggression—while simultaneously opening up business opportunities with the aggressor state. 

Kramatorsk and Pryluky are not a backdrop for oil deals. The lives of Ukrainians lost are not the price to be paid for agreements between Trump and Putin. 

The Ukrainian public demands: tough sanctions against Russia, genuine pressure on the aggressor, military aid for Ukraine, and negotiations based on international law. 

No peace at Ukraine’s expense. No business over accountability. No concessions to the aggressor. 

Stop playing games on the graves of the dead!"

It is outrageous that the West makes deals with Russia, forgetting Ukraine

From the Obozrevatel, October 9, 2026:

"Sanctions at a price list: European principles ended where financial losses began 

Ivan Nosenko 

Estonia requested that Russia’s Solikamsk Magnesium Plant and its CEO not be included in the new EU sanctions list—and succeeded.

The reason is simple: the Estonian company NPM Silmet relies on Russian raw materials, while European industry uses its products. They say they are looking for an alternative and will revisit the sanctions issue next year. 

It turns out that more than four years of major war were not enough. 

Ukrainians must die holding back Russia, while we continue buying raw materials from Russia because the alternative is more expensive. A very convenient form of European fairness: your lives versus our profit margins.  

And this is despite the fact that Russia poses a direct threat to Estonia itself. In other words, Ukraine is currently holding back a state that could reach Estonia’s borders tomorrow, yet Estonia continues to maintain business ties with it because it is more convenient and cheaper. 

 Sanctions that remain in place only until they become costly are not sanctions. They are a price list for principles."

Baltic countries want to close EU for Russian grain

From Reuters:

"Baltic countries seek EU ban on Russian grain transit 

October 9, 20264:22 PM GMT+3Updated October 9, 2026

Wheat buyers brace for higher costs as Russia-Ukraine war drags on

VILNIUS, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia proposed a European ​Union ban on Friday on Russian grain exports ‌through the bloc in a letter addressed to European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The ​Baltic states are seeking to end shipments of Russian ​grain through their ports after Moscow stepped up the ⁠transits in response to attacks by Ukraine on its ​Black Sea ports, with Estonia last week announcing the first ban.

"The ​EU must not become a channel through which Russia compensates for the economic consequences of its own aggression," the letter read.

Estonian ​Prime Minister Kristen Michal intends to raise the issue ​at next week's European Council meeting, according to a separate statement from ‌the ⁠Estonian government.

The Russian embassy in Estonia said in an emailed statement that "decisions made by the Estonian government often raise questions in business circles and among society"

The Russian ​embassies in Latvia ​and Lithuania ⁠did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius on Thursday proposed ​the measure and also suggested the EU should ​impose ⁠sanctions on Russian agricultural oligarchs who support the war in Ukraine.

"Lithuania will propose not only banning such transit but also ⁠adding ​specific Russian agricultural oligarchs who support ​the war to the list of sanctioned individuals," he wrote in a ​post on Facebook.

Reporting by Louise Rasmussen; Editing by Joe Bavier"

***

Why is the EU still open for Russian grain? Crazy! 

Boris Johnson: Trump's diesel deal is sickening

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on X:

"It is sickening that the USA is now lifting sanctions on Russian fuel, and transparently ridiculous to blame Ukraine for the spike in prices that obviously began with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Putin is murdering innocent Ukrainian civilians every day. The Ukrainians are fighting for their lives. And yet the White House is apparently determined to force American drivers to bankroll Putin’s slaughter. It won’t work and I doubt it will make much difference to the price of fuel. 

If we want Russian oil and gas back on the world market then let’s end this war - with a free, sovereign and independent Ukraine."  

US senator: US government has become a sponsor of terror

Democrat senator Chris Murphy on X:

"The United States government is now a funder of state sponsored terrorism. 

 I know that sounds political and hyperbolic, but it is factually true. Russia is intentionally targeting civilians in Ukraine at scale, and Trump is intentionally funding their efforts."

US veteran diplomat: The Russians are waiting for the US to throw bigger bouquets at their feet

From the New York Times:

"Ukraine Peace Talks Sputter After Trump and Putin Strike Fuel Deal

Efforts to jump start diplomatic talks to end Russia’s war against Ukraine were stalled on Saturday after President Trump said the United States would buy Russian diesel, the latest case of Washington’s undermining Kyiv by giving Moscow economic breathing room.

Mr. Trump’s announcement on Friday came despite a Russian ban on exporting fuel and was followed by the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel exports until April. The Kremlin apparently offered no concessions in return.

Hours later, Russian officials said there would be no immediate resumption of peace talks...

While Mr. Trump’s announcement of the diesel deal made no mention of Ukraine, it was poised to hurt Ukrainian efforts to defend itself, as any major purchase of Russian fuel would help fund Moscow’s war machine.

Ukrainian officials said on Saturday that the talks in Miami had ended without a breakthrough.

In an online chat with reporters on Friday evening, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine did not hide his sense of betrayal.

“I believe our team is simply being used as a smoke screen, and that is certainly not fair,” Mr. Zelensky said. He has worked hard to maintain a stable relationship with the White House as Mr. Trump has steered America closer to Russia and away from traditional democratic allies.

“It is certainly not how partners should treat each other,” Mr. Zelensky added, calling Mr. Trump’s announcement on diesel a “weak decision.”

For Kyiv and its European allies, the short-lived talks in Miami laid bare how U.S. diplomacy has drifted from the pursuit of a durable peace settlement to a hunt for business deals with Russia. The Trump administration has placed the burden of compromise almost entirely on Ukraine and put little pressure on Moscow to stop its campaign to destroy the Ukrainian state.

On Saturday, Mr. Zelensky said Russia had directed five guided bombs at a residential area of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, killing at least 15 people, including three children. “In Russia, they take any easing of pressure to mean they can keep fighting, to mean they can keep dropping bombs on cities,” he said.

Daniel Fried, a longtime senior U.S. diplomat and former ambassador to Poland, said it was “very clear that the Russians are completely uninterested in any diplomatic approach and are simply standing back waiting for the West, the U.S., the Ukrainians to come to them with some bigger and better offer.”

“When you start chasing after them, they simply smirk and wait for you to purchase bigger and better bouquets to throw at their feet,” Mr. Fried said.

Mr. Fried argued that decades of relations with Moscow showed that appeals would fail unless backed by the threat of acute consequences.

“If you have sticks, wield the sticks,” he said.

He said Mr. Trump was undermining not only Ukraine’s security but also Europe’s.

“All of this is taking place at a time when Russia is escalating its shadow warfare against Europe, and we are acting as if that is not occurring,” he said...

Ukraine has also made clear that it will continue a campaign against Russian refineries, which has drawn Mr. Trump’s ire.

Mr. Trump’s end run around Ukraine continued a pattern that had been playing out since he started his second term claiming he could end the war in 24 hours.

Last year, Kyiv agreed to a call by Mr. Trump for an immediate, unconditional cease-fire, but Moscow flatly rejected it. That first round of diplomacy established a dynamic that still defines negotiations: Ukraine received no reward for saying yes, and the Kremlin paid no price for saying no.

Since then, ambitions of forging a lasting peace have largely evaporated... Still, when the Trump administration opened the latest diplomatic track on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in late September, Ukrainian officials were startled by how far Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkoff went in their offerings to Russia.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential diplomatic talks, the Americans placed three lucrative economic incentives on the table to coax Moscow into a limited cease-fire either on energy infrastructure or at sea.

Washington floated releasing billions of Russian sovereign assets immobilized in the West. The money, the officials said, was viewed as an upfront incentive for partial truces, not a reward for their enactment. This revived a proposal from last year to release funds to Russia. Then, the suggestion was to release up to $100 billion.

The Americans also revisited a plan to sell off parts of the Russian oil giant Lukoil in a multibillion-dollar deal that would go to a group of Middle Eastern investors, including some with business ties to U.S. negotiators.

And Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner revived a U.S. proposal that would allow Belarus, the Kremlin’s ally and neighbor, to export potash, according to officials familiar with the talks.

Kyiv has been careful not to reject any proposal outright but has demanded guardrails. For instance, it has suggested dollar-for-dollar mirror payments of frozen assets to Ukraine or guarantees of additional military aid upon any truce breach.

But Mr. Zelensky’s frustration with Washington was clear earlier this week when he visited the site of a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in northern Ukraine, hundreds of miles from the front lines. The strike killed 22 people, including five children — among more than 100 civilians killed in Russian strikes last week alone.

Asked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments that talks to end the fighting were “proving elusive” because the war had reached a “strategic stalemate,” Mr. Zelensky bristled.

“We are not at a diplomatic dead end,” he said. The problem, he added, was that there was not enough pressure on Moscow.

“Shut down their entire economy,” he said. “Sew Russia’s mouth shut. Don’t feed them with your own sales.”"

***

Daniel Fried also talked to the Ukrainian site Shelter: 

"“One of Trump’s most foolish ideas.” Former U.S. sanctions coordinator Fried on the diesel deal with Putin

...I think it is one of the most foolish ideas that I have seen from the Trump administration since the beginning of the Ukraine war. And I don’t say this lightly. Even on its own terms—that is, as an effort to put more diesel fuel on the world market and lower prices—it is impractical, to say nothing of the hazard of doing so when Russia is attacking Ukraine... 

I think that Putin has been doing what many Kremlin leaders have done for decades, which is dangle promises of riches or deals or benefits to gullible Americans who sometimes fall for the trick. And I’m afraid in this case, Putin accurately read Trump as sensitive to the price of diesel in the United States, largely because of the Iran war. Putin made an offer, which I do not believe Putin can fulfill. It’s a bad deal. Even if the Russians could put the extra diesel on the market—and I don’t think they can..."

Another cynical statement by Trump: Ukraine should have capitulated 2 years ago

From the Anadole Agency:

"Trump says ‘it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president’ who can ‘make a deal’ with Russia

US president accuses Volodymyr Zelenskyy of repeatedly missing opportunities to end war, criticizes Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure

 

Berk Kutay Gokmen, Burc Eruygur, and Esra Tekin

 

10 October 2026, Update: 11 October 2026

 

...At Joint Base Andrews, Trump continued his criticism of Zelenskyy, telling reporters that the Russia-Ukraine war “could have been solved many times, but for whatever reason Zelensky does not want to make a deal.”

Asserting Russian President Vladimir Putin's willingness to make a deal with Kyiv, Trump said that Zelenskyy “would have been a lot better off and he could have made a much better deal two years ago.”

"President Putin would like to see a settlement strongly and look, he's freeing up a lot of oil for the world," Trump added, referring to a new deal for Russia to sell diesel fuel, which Zelenskyy strongly criticized..."

 

 

ISW: Putin used the phone call with Trump to blame Ukraine for the failed peace efforts

From the Institute for the Study of War:

"Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 10, 2026

 Russian President Vladimir Putin used his phone call with US President Donald Trump on October 9 to falsely blame Ukraine for the lack of peace negotiations’ progress despite Russia’s continued unwillingness to engage in meaningful negotiations or make any concessions to end the war in Ukraine. Russian Presidential Aide Yuriy Ushakov claimed that Putin told Trump that Ukraine’s alleged long-range strikes against Russian election infrastructure during the September 2026 Russian State Duma elections “thwarted the possibility” of “immediately” resuming peace negotiations — attempting to malign Ukraine as the party responsible for halting peace negotiations.[1] There is, in fact, no evidence that Ukraine targeted Russian election infrastructure during the September 2026 Duma elections, and Russian claims that Ukraine attempted to target election infrastructure remain unfounded. Putin emphasized that Russia’s commitment to achieve all its war goals and objectives — which are tantamount to full Ukrainian and Western surrender — remain unchanged. Ukraine, the United States, and Europe have repeatedly presented various ceasefires and peace proposals with concessions to Russia — all of which the Kremlin has continuously rejected.[2] Moscow has insisted on painting Ukraine as the intransigent party in peace efforts despite the fact that Russia has not offered any concessions and has rejected numerous compromise proposals that the US and Ukraine have offered. Putin’s October 9 reiteration of his commitment to Russia’s unchanged war aims demonstrates the Kremlin’s continued unwillingness to accept any compromised peace proposals on any terms that fall short of fulfilling Russia’s maximalist demands of Ukraine’s complete capitulation.[3]"

Pence: Trump's decision makes no sense and betrays Graham's legacy

Former US Vice President Mike Pence:

"President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian fuel amidst Putin’s ongoing and brutal attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine makes no sense and is a betrayal of the legacy and leadership of the late Senator Lindsey Graham. 

While Ukraine fights for its survival, Putin’s war machine continues to prosecute his terrorist war on civilian populations and innocent Ukrainians are dying every day.  

Now, Instead of implementing the tough sanctions Lindsey Graham fought to his last breath to enact, President Trump has announced the United States is lifting sanctions on Russian energy, fueling the Putin’s war machine. 

As I saw firsthand in Ukraine last month, Putin is losing this war. Ukraine has fought the Russian military to a standstill and reinvented warfare with drones taking the fight into the heart of Russia.

America should not be throwing a lifeline to Putin’s war machine. Now is the time to stand strong against Russian aggression as we did during the first Trump administration. 

America should not be throwing a lifeline to Putin’s war machine. Now is the time to stand strong against Russian aggression as we did during the first Trump administration. 

America is the Leader of the Free World. For our National Security, for the security of our Allies in Europe including Ukraine, President Trump should rescind this deal immediately and return to the strong policies of our four years in the White House; impose harsh sanctions on any nation purchasing Russian energy and work with our allies to ensure Ukraine has the military support it needs to repel and defeat this Russian invasion once and for all. Slava Ukraini🇺🇸🇺🇦"

9:49 PM · Oct 10, 2026     

Trump is doing exactly what the USA kept talking against

From MTN / Yahoo!News:

"Trump’s Putin Diesel Deal Has a Dirty Little Secret

Brett Meiselas, CutterStudios.AI, October 10, 2026

Donald Trump has reopened the U.S. market to Vladimir Putin's diesel, promising Russian fuel sales while energy analysts warn the deal is unlikely to provide the price relief the White House is selling...

The arrangement reverses years of U.S. policy aimed at cutting off Moscow's energy revenue after its invasion of Ukraine. Congress enacted the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act in April 2022, prohibiting imports of Russian petroleum products unless a president completed a statutory process to end that prohibition...

The Trump regime has offered consumers a geopolitical reversal wrapped in a price-cutting promise. The price-cutting part like will not materialize. But Putin will be laughing all the way to the bank...

The First Tanker Shows This Was No Last-Minute Fix

A tanker identified as the MINERVA ZEN was already nearing the U.S. East Coast as Trump publicly announced the agreement. The vessel left St. Petersburg on September 22, according to shipping-tracking accounts cited by Ukrainian outlet UNN — more than two weeks before Trump's October 9 announcement.

The Coast Guard's active certificate-of-financial-responsibility report identifies MINERVA ZEN, IMO No. 9410909, as a tanker covered through March 2027.

The timing does not establish when Trump and Putin reached their agreement. It does establish that fuel described as the first Russian diesel delivery was already in transit before Trump told Americans he had struck the deal.

Trump administration officials have linked the move directly to Ukraine's refinery strikes. A U.S. official told Axios that Trump made the diesel arrangement after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected repeated U.S. requests to stop attacking Russian oil facilities.

Zelenskyy has made clear that oil-product exports remain central to Russia's capacity to sustain its war. In a call Saturday with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, he urged partners to limit the revenue Russia receives from those exports.

Trump's deal moves in the opposite direction. It creates a new opening for Russian diesel at the moment Kyiv is trying to deny Moscow the money generated by Russian energy.

Republicans Called Russian Oil Purchases Putin's War Chest

The reversal is especially stark against the position Republicans promoted when Russia launched its full-scale assault on Ukraine. On March 8, 2022, then-Sen. Marco Rubio wrote: "Stop importing Russian oil. Start producing more American oil again. That's the plan."

That same year, Congress moved to bar Russian energy imports because lawmakers understood the basic equation: Russian petroleum sales provide revenue to a government waging war on Ukraine. The law covered crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, and coal.

Senate Republicans were still making that case this summer. In July, Republican and Democratic senators backed legislation targeting major purchasers of Russian oil and gas, declaring that Russia relies on energy revenue to fund its war and that those enabling it should be held accountable.

Now Trump is not targeting purchasers of Russian energy. He is bringing Russian diesel back into the American market.

Europe is moving the other way. The European Union has continued to target Russian energy revenue, Moscow's military-industrial base, and networks supporting hybrid attacks against Europe.

Kaja Kallas — the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and a vice president of the European Commission — has led that effort. Her portfolio includes coordinating the EU's foreign and security policy and sustaining support for Ukraine.

Trump has chosen a different path: lower the pressure on Putin, blame Zelenskyy for refinery strikes, and present Russian fuel as an American economic victory.

What Trump Actually Put on the Table

Trump did not announce a domestic production plan. He announced an arrangement with the dictator whose energy exports Congress spent years trying to choke off.

The administration claims the deal will help consumers. But analysts have already warned that rerouting Russian diesel will do little to change the market, while Ukraine says the sales give Moscow revenue it can use to prolong the war.

That is the trade Trump is making. Americans may see little relief. Putin gets a new customer...

But the timing is the point. Trump unveiled the deal less than a month before Election Day, when diesel prices had become a political liability and his own emergency fuel measures had failed to calm the market.

The United States once barred Russian petroleum products to cut off money for Putin's war. Trump is now offering Moscow access to American buyers in the name of lowering prices.

Truckers and farmers still face high diesel costs. Ukrainians still face Russian attacks. Putin gets the revenue stream."

Zelensky will not give up Ukraine's strongest card to make Trump happy

From the Telegraph / Yahoo!News:

"Trump’s deal with Putin will not deter Zelensky from playing his strongest card

Ben Farmer, October 10, 2026

Shortly after Donald Trump blindsided Volodymyr Zelensky by announcing the US would import diesel from Vladimir Putin, a fierce orange glow erupted over the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

A large blaze had broken out at an oil-loading terminal operated by the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, after it was reportedly hit by drones.

The refinery is said to supply the Russian military, but also exports petroleum products such as the diesel Mr Trump desperately seeks to cut prices at US pumps.

Ukrainian drones hit the facilities as part of a wave of attacks on refineries to try to choke off oil revenue for the Kremlin's war economy.

Hours later, it emerged another major oil facility, near Prosvet in the Samara region, had also been struck, setting alight one of Russia's largest hubs for receiving, storing and blending crude petroleum.

Such attacks and the damage they inflict on Russia's economy have become one of Kyiv's most potent weapons in its four-year resistance against Putin's invasion.

But the strikes have also angered Mr Trump, who blames the campaign for contributing to climbing global fuel prices, which are expected to cost him dearly at next month's US midterm elections.

On Saturday, Mr Trump said Ukraine "better damn well stop" [striking Russia's oil infrastructure].

"I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal," he said, referring to Mr Zelensky.

Andy Burnham expressed his "complete solidarity" with Mr Zelensky in response and said the UK would strengthen its sanctions against Moscow.

Mr Trump reportedly made his shock decision to upend US sanctions policy and import diesel from Putin after Mr Zelensky ignored his requests to stop attacking Russian refineries.

On Friday, Mr Trump announced that Putin would "immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace", followed by another 1.5 million tons before the end of the year.

The flames rising above Rostov-on-Don and Samara in the early hours of Saturday may have now given an early answer to one of the most pressing questions that Mr Trump's decision has thrown up.

Analysts had questioned whether Mr Zelensky would be forced to stop blowing up Russian refineries, because it would jeopardise Mr Trump's deal and alienate the White House further.

Yet the language from Kyiv after the deal and the latest strikes instead suggest Mr Zelensky probably will not relinquish one of his strongest cards against the Russians.

A senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times that Kyiv would continue its long-range drone strikes on Russia's energy facilities. "We will burn their refineries," the official said.

Such defiance is unlikely to be welcomed in the White House.

Sir Bill Browder, who formerly headed the largest foreign investment fund in Russia before spearheading a global campaign against Kremlin corruption, said: "Just as Ukraine was changing the direction of the war by inflicting real economic pain on Putin by hitting his oil refineries, Trump steps in and agrees to buy Russian diesel.

"Now Trump can say that Ukraine is bombing American interests and they better stop."

He said the diesel deal had accomplished "three very ugly things".

Firstly, Mr Trump could "threaten Ukraine if they bomb any more of Putin's oil refineries", and secondly it could be "used as a pretext for why Trump insiders can do dirty business deals with Russia".

He said the deal could also potentially open the door for more sanctions relief for Putin.

If the deal does go ahead and Russia is able to export diesel to the US, then Ukraine fears the money flowing into the Kremlin coffers will only prolong the war.

The US treasury is suspending sanctions on Russian diesel exports until April 7 as part of the deal, but other assets such as those in American banks are still frozen.

On Saturday, Mr Zelensky predicted the extra money would go towards producing more missiles and jet-powered drones, which have been bombarding Ukraine.

With Ukraine's air defence batteries largely depleted, the country's industry and infrastructure are taking daily beatings, and civilian casualties are climbing.

Mr Zelensky said: "Every additional billion dollars they can earn from exports will be spent on nothing but sourcing and importing critical components and equipment to manufacture weapons, upgrading Shaheds, producing missiles and recruiting even more mercenaries to fight at the front.

"Russia's choice is war. And they will be ready to end it only when they feel that their ability to drag the war out is diminishing."

Yet analysts differ over whether Russia will be able to deliver on the promised quantities of diesel.

In July, Russia stopped diesel exports because of the Ukrainian blitz against its refineries.

Edward Fishman, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told the New York Times he doubted Russia could supply what it had offered.

He said: "The reason Russia imposed an export ban was that Ukrainian strikes had degraded its refining output, necessitating fuel rationing for domestic use.

"This strikes me as classic Putin – empty promises aimed at sowing further divisions in the transatlantic alliance."

However, the deal would allow Russia to dispense with its summer-grade diesel during an expected tough winter and focus on using the Arctic grades needed in the coming months, said Clayton Seigle, an energy expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

He said: "I don't think it'll be enough to materially lower prices in the United States or Europe, but it does certainly let Moscow off the hook in terms of revenue squeeze."

Mr Trump's decision is also likely to anger other nations who are being sanctioned for their role in buying Russian oil. India has been hit with tariffs because of its purchases.

A prominent Indian news outlet asked after the announcement: "What makes an American purchase of Russian fuel acceptable while an Indian purchase invites economic punishment?"