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.
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..."
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!"
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."
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!
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."
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."
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..."
From the Anadole Agency:
"Trump says ‘it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president’ who can ‘make a deal’ with Russia
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..."
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]"
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🇺🇸🇺🇦"
From MTN / Yahoo!News:
"Trump’s Putin Diesel Deal Has a Dirty Little Secret
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...
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.
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.
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."
From the Telegraph / Yahoo!News:
"Trump’s deal with Putin will not deter Zelensky from playing his strongest card
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?"
From Amnesty International, Oct 1:
"More than 40 demonstrations taking place across England targeting NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards
Patients, healthcare workers and campaigners are gathering outside Palantir's London headquarters today, calling on the NHS to end its relationship with the controversial US technology company.
The protest marks the culmination of a nationwide Day of Action, with more than 40 demonstrations taking place across England targeting NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards.
Campaigners are calling for an end to the NHS's £330 million contract with Palantir, citing concerns about the company's relationship with the Israeli military, including its strategic partnership with Israel's Ministry of Defence to provide technology in support of ‘war-related missions’, while Amnesty International has concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Public support for action on NHS contracts
Polling* has found strong public support for action on NHS contracts involving companies linked to serious human rights concerns. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of people said it is important that the government suspends NHS contracts with companies linked to serious human rights violations, including Palantir. Among 2024 Labour voters, this rises to 75%.
Tom Guha, Crisis Campaigner at Amnesty International UK Section, said:
“No Palantir in Our NHS. The message couldn’t be clearer, and the choice couldn’t be simpler.
“Today, people across England are standing up for the values that define our health service: humanity, dignity and care. The NHS should not be doing business with a company that has deepened its relationship with the Israeli military as Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure genocide.
“With Palantir's contract nearing renewal, the clock is ticking to make the right choice. The NHS can continue working with a company linked to serious human rights abuses, or it can put its values first.
“Communities across England have spoken – through polling, letters to representatives and at all of the protests today. The NHS must cut ties with Palantir."
Background
In 2023, NHS England awarded Palantir a £330 million contract to provide a new NHS data platform.
Amnesty International UK is campaigning for NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards to refuse to use Palantir technology and for decision-makers not to renew the company's NHS contract when it expires in February 2027.
*Polling commissioned by Amnesty International UK Section and conducted by Savanta. It surveyed 2,023 UK adults between 10 and 13 July 2026 and was weighted to be representative of the UK by age, sex, region and social grade."
***
So it turns out that the British in the 1940s were wrong to fight Nazi Germany. It wanted the extermination of Jews, and today's British apparently want the same thing, so from their point of view, Hitler has just been prescient.
Russian oppositionary in exile Garry Kasparov:
From Axios:
"Exclusive: Zelensky tells Axios Trump's diesel deal with Putin "not fair and not honest"
Barak Ravid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios in a phone interview on Friday that President Trump's decision to unilaterally lift sanctions on Russia and allow it to export diesel was "not fair and not honest."
Trump's announcement, which came after a call with Putin, shocked Ukraine and many European governments and created a new crisis between the U.S. and its Western allies..."
From Ukraine National News:
"The first Russian diesel shipment has arrived on the U.S. East Coast, OSINT analysts say
Kyiv • UNN
The MINERVA ZEN tanker carrying diesel left St. Petersburg on September 22. The shipment arrived in the United States less than a day after the announcement of the agreement.
The first Russian diesel shipment to the United States is already arriving on the East Coast, less than 24 hours after the deal was announced. This was reported by the OSINT channel TheIntelFrog, according to UNN.
It is also noted that the tanker MINERVA ZEN departed from St. Petersburg on September 22 and appears to have been headed for the U.S. East Coast the entire time.
According to data from the OSINT website VesselFinder, the MINERVA ZEN tanker was built in 2009 and sails under the Greek flag.
U.S. President Donald Trump thanked Vladimir Putin for the agreements on supplying Russian diesel fuel to the United States.
In response, influential U.S. Democratic senators sharply criticized President Donald Trump's decision to allow the sale of Russian diesel fuel on the global market for six months.
However, representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration threatened to stop sharing U.S. intelligence with Ukraine if Kyiv continued to ignore Washington's demands to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to Russia's attack on Zaporizhzhia, noting that this was how Russia thanked the United States for lifting sanctions on diesel exports."
***
Update: I retract the above statements because it is now reported that the vessel carried fertilizer rather than fuel.
From the Web page of Senator Blumenthal:
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the statement below following Donald Trump’s announcement that he had reached a deal with Vladimir Putin to lift sanctions on and obtain Russian diesel:
“The President’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel is an embarrassment and makes us complicit in Putin’s war against Ukraine. This poorly concealed attempt to mitigate the havoc caused by Trump’s illegal war in Iran will only benefit the Chinese and Russian economies and lead to the slaughter of more innocents in Ukraine. This agreement with a murdering dictator is a stain on our nation’s character, an insult to Lindsey Graham’s memory, and directly contrary to Congress’s intent in our bipartisan sanctions bill. The President should rescind this agreement immediately. To the American companies considering taking Putin’s blood money: Congress is watching.”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on X:
"Peace never comes through weakness. Today, representatives of the U.S. Congress were in Kyiv – a bipartisan delegation – and I am grateful to them for visiting Ukraine at such a difficult time. They asked: what is needed to end the war? The answer must be strong. There must be sanctions under the Lindsey Graham bill, there must be support for Ukraine in protecting lives, and there must be pressure on Russia for its war. And today, there was a conversation between the leaders of America and Russia. A conversation that leads to something different.
Recently, there was a European decision to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Since then, Russian strikes and the torment of people have only increased. This past week alone, there was a brutal Russian missile strike on a residential building in Pryluky, aerial bombs were dropped on Kramatorsk – on ordinary city buses – and there have been constant attacks on Kyiv’s energy infrastructure and on the life-sustaining infrastructure in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and our other cities. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded.
The Russians are compensating for their inability to achieve their objectives on the battlefield with this kind of terror. This year, Russia is weaker on the battlefield than at any other point in the war. That is why Putin is relying on terror. That is why he is relying on attempts to strike backroom deals to secure some form of pressure relief for Russia, in order to buy more time and more opportunities for war.
Any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia is an obvious weakness. It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world.
Ukraine is ready to take symmetrical de-escalatory steps, and the American team knows our position. Our strikes on Russian oil refineries and other oil facilities are a response to Russia’s years-long campaign of terror against Ukraine’s energy sector. Ukraine will not set Russian oil refineries on fire if Russia does not destroy our energy infrastructure. This is the kind of agreement we are proposing to America, and we believe the United States has enough power to achieve such a compromise.
Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will “repay” the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged. What is needed is real de-escalation with Russia on a reciprocal basis.
We count on America’s fair support for our defense of life, for our defense of people in Ukraine – and on the United States having a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one."
From Kyiv Independent:
"Exclusive: 'It felt like a trap.' How Ukraine was blindsided by Trump's Putin pivot
Instead, the talks were derailed after Trump announced that Russia would supply millions of tons of diesel fuel to the U.S. and global markets following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv had not been informed of the decision in advance. Although Zelensky publicly acknowledged that Washington was considering a deal with Moscow, Ukrainian officials said they had not known the details before the announcement that evening.
For the delegation, the revelation raised questions about whether Washington had already negotiated terms with Moscow while Ukrainian and European officials were still trying to establish the parameters of an energy truce.
"It felt like a trap," the senior Ukrainian official said.
"To be honest, everyone was shocked as f*ck."
The timing of the U.S. decision only deepened the suspicion.
Following Trump's direction, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that its Office of Foreign Assets Control was "immediately issuing a temporary general license to allow the supply of Russian diesel to the global market."
One Ukrainian official pointed to April 7, the date on which the waiver was set to expire, as evidence that Washington had planned the measure around a specific timetable.
"They lifted the sanctions until April 7... So they were preparing this for Oct. 7. It's a birthday present for Putin. They're counting the six months," the official said.
Trump's demand to stop Ukraine's strikesThe dispute had been building for weeks.
Trump had previously pressed Zelensky to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities, arguing that Kyiv should stop disrupting Russia's fuel production.
"Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia," Trump told Zelensky on Sept. 13.
Kyiv rejected the premise that Ukraine should halt its strikes unilaterally. Ukrainian officials said Zelensky had repeatedly made clear that any energy ceasefire would have to apply to both sides, with Russia also stopping its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
That distinction is central to Kyiv. Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, terminals, and other energy facilities aim to disrupt a major source of funding for Moscow's war effort. Russia, meanwhile, has systematically targeted Ukrainian power plants and substations, seeking to deprive civilians of electricity and heating.
A ceasefire that stopped only Ukrainian attacks would therefore leave Russia's campaign against Ukraine's energy system intact while protecting infrastructure that helps sustain the Russian war machine.
Yet, Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent that U.S. negotiators presented the issue differently during the talks, framing Zelensky as responsible for the impasse because he had refused to halt attacks on Russian refineries.
The Ukrainians were also told that Washington would cut off intelligence sharing that has helped Kyiv identify and strike targets inside Russia, one person present at the talks told the Kyiv Independent.
U.S. intelligence has played an important role in Ukrainian attacks, and restricting access to it would weaken Kyiv's ability to conduct strikes deep inside Russian territory.
One senior Ukrainian official involved in the talks responded with bitter humor.
"I hope the Americans don't give them Patriot (air defense systems) to protect their oil refineries," the official said.
The remark, however, captured a broader fear in Kyiv.
Washington already ended up helping Moscow shield the infrastructure that finances its war while pressuring Ukraine to surrender a means of striking back.
Another senior Ukrainian official said Ukraine had not agreed to stop attacking Russian refineries and would not commit to doing so without reciprocal Russian action.
For Kyiv, the principle remained unchanged. An energy truce could work only if both countries accepted the same restrictions.
"It was just f**king stupid to bury the idea of an energy truce with that move," one official said, suggesting that Washington was trying to strip Ukraine of its greatest source of leverage in the negotiations.
The war continues on both sidesEvents on the ground showed how little the announcement had changed.
Just hours after Trump's announcement, Ukrainian drones struck an oil loading terminal in Russia's Rostov-on-Don. The terminal handles petroleum products for export and supplies fuel to Russia's military.
Russia, meanwhile, launched a drone attack followed by a missile strike on Kyiv on Oct. 10, also targeting Ukrainian energy facilities.
Neither side had agreed to stop striking energy infrastructure, and the U.S. announcement had done little to bridge the gap between their positions.
Zelensky addressed the decision in a voice message to reporters late on Oct. 9, warning that allowing Russia to export diesel would just give Moscow additional revenue to sustain its war.
"This only fuels Putin and enables him to wage more war," Zelensky said. "And at the moment when we are talking about peace, the U.S. is allowing Russia to export diesel."
He also questioned the purpose of sending a Ukrainian delegation to negotiations under those circumstances.
"I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen. This is certainly not honest, and it is certainly not how partners should act," Zelensky said, calling the decision "a weak decision by our strong partners."
Ukraine was being asked to make concessions on the battlefield even as Moscow continued to attack its cities and energy infrastructure.
For one senior Ukrainian official, the explanation for Washington's move was straightforward: Trump was trying to deflect blame for the consequences of his own foreign policy.
"Clearly, Trump doesn't want to admit that it was his war against Iran that caused so many problems for Americans," the official said."
From the Institute for the Study of War:
"Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 9, 2026
October 9 to waive sanctions on Russian diesel to increase diesel supply to the United States’ and global markets — a decision which will fund Russia’s war effort and protract Russia’s war in Ukraine.[1] Trump stated that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel to the United States’ and global markets, another 500,000 tons in November 2026, and one million tons “immediately thereafter” and noted that Russian oil refineries can supply another three million tons of diesel “in a short time” depending on their conditions. The US Treasury Department issued a temporary general license, at Trump‘s direction, to allow Russian diesel supply to the global market.[2] Russian exports accounted for only 9.5 percent of the global diesel export supply in 2025, and the Russian Federation temporarily banned diesel exports on July 8, 2026 as Ukraine intensified its long-range strike campaigns against Russia’s oil refining capacity and intermediate-range campaign against Russian logistics, including the deliveries of fuel to occupied Ukraine and the frontline.[3] The US’ decision to allow Russia to supply diesel to the global markets, including to the United States, will support the Kremlin’s efforts to stonewall US efforts to end the war, as the profits from diesel exports will enable Russia to continue funding its war in Ukraine. The US decision to grant Russia a waiver to export diesel also represents a unilateral US concession in its negotiation posture with Russia, when Russia has offered the US no concessions in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine."