Payback: Trump Cut Putin Diesel Deal After Zelensky Ignored Six Pleas To Stop Refinery Strikes

A diesel sanctions waiver Trump reportedly agreed to with Vladimir Putin is being framed as a turnaround after Kyiv refused to halt attacks on Russian refineries. Axios reported that hours after Volodymyr Zelensky accused Washington of using Ukraine’s negotiators as a cover for a backroom deal, Trump decided to allow Russia to sell diesel—citing Zelensky’s continued refinery strikes. A US official said the move was as much a message to Kyiv as a gift to Moscow. The dispute centers on whether attacks on refineries and Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid are equivalent. Negotiations in Miami reportedly included warnings tied to US intelligence and munitions.