"It looks like a happy birthday present for Putin": Zelenskyy criticises US approval of Russian diesel imports
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that US President Donald Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Russia and allow it to export diesel fuel is a birthday present for Vladimir Putin.
Source: Zelenskyy in a telephone interview with Axios
Details: Zelenskyy expressed disappointment, saying Trump's actions look "absolutely terrible". He said such bilateral agreements will provide Russia with additional funds that will be used entirely to wage war.
Quote: "You know, it looks like a happy birthday present for Putin. It looks absolutely terrible."
Details: Zelenskyy stressed that the decision gives Putin more resources and enables him to wage war even more aggressively.
Quote: "At precisely the moment when we are talking about peace, America is allowing Russia to export diesel. We are talking about millions, billions [of dollars]. In any case, all this money goes towards the war."
Background:
- On the evening of 9 October, Trump said he had spoken by phone with Putin and agreed on supplies of millions of tonnes of Russian diesel to US and global markets.
- Trump's announcement following the call with Putin shocked the Ukrainian government and the leadership of many European countries. It also triggered a new diplomatic crisis in relations between the US and its Western allies, Axios notes.
- The US Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), issued General Licence No. 135, authorising transactions involving the sale, delivery, unloading and import of Russian-origin diesel fuel into the US until 17 April 2027.
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