Money straight into Putin's pocket: Zelenskyy hits out at Trump's diesel deal

Zelenskyy warned that buying Russian diesel would help fund Moscow's war effort, criticising the move as counterproductive to efforts to end the conflict. He also welcomed Europe's greater involvement in peace negotiations, accusing Russia of treating the process as a farce rather than pursuing a genuine end to the war.

In Short

• Zelenskyy criticised Trump's Russian diesel deal, saying it funds Moscow
• He welcomed more EU support amid ongoing Russian attacks
• EU leaders backed Zelenskyy despite divisions on energy and budget

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday criticised US President Donald Trump's agreement to buy Russian diesel, saying it would send money back to Moscow, and welcomed a larger European role in peace efforts. At a European Union summit in Brussels, he accused Russia of having no genuine interest in ending the war and described its approach to negotiations as a parody, reported international news agency Reuters.

Zelenskyy also sought further European financial and military support as Russian attacks continued and Ukraine reported persistent problems with the SpaceX Starshield satellite system. EU leaders backed him after Trump criticised Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, even as they remained divided over energy prices and the bloc's own budget.

The summit came as missiles and drones continued to strike Ukrainian cities and concern grew that Washington could reduce intelligence sharing and weapons support for Kyiv. Russian drone strikes on Kharkiv killed three people, while attacks elsewhere left hundreds of thousands without electricity.

On arriving at the summit, Zelenskyy referred to his European counterparts as “real leaders”. At a press conference, he was asked whether Trump was making him a scapegoat for high energy prices and the course of the Iran war. Zelenskyy paused, smiled and, after a prolonged silence that prompted laughter in the room, said, “This is my answer.”

Trump surprised Zelenskyy the previous weekend by announcing that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to attack each other's energy facilities. With US midterm elections due in November, Trump has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for higher energy prices that could hurt him at the polls.

Ukraine later struck a Russian oil refinery after Zelenskyy said Kyiv was abandoning the energy ceasefire announced by Trump. Russia publicly acknowledged the refinery attack and showed images on state media, departing from its usual practice to draw attention to the incident.

Trump condemned the Ukrainian refinery strikes in an interview with Newsmax. “All he's doing is making the world oil price higher. Well, I think that's a disgrace,” he said.

Trump's diesel agreement with Russia angered Ukraine and its European allies. Speaking at the summit, Zelenskyy said money would begin returning to Russia through the deal.

“This diesel deal will never be enough to offset the impact of the Strait of Hormuz on global markets. But it will put more money straight into Putin's pocket to fund this war,” he said.

Zelenskyy also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of refusing peace negotiations in any form. “Putin does not want peace talks at the moment, in any form,” he said. “He's playing with words, claiming they respond... Quite simply, it looks like a parody of a genuine desire to end the war.”

The Kremlin said the previous week that Ukraine had prevented the immediate resumption of peace negotiations by launching drone attacks on Moscow during the election the month before.

Ukraine has also been concerned about interruptions to Starshield, the military-grade version of the Starlink service operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. The system is used in battlefield operations and to shoot down Russian drones targeting cities far from the frontline.

A US official denied that Trump had ordered a deliberate slowdown of Starshield, while Trump said this week that intelligence sharing with Ukraine was continuing. Zelenskyy said the system's operation had improved but had not been fully restored, adding that the disruption put civilians at risk.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Europe could not replace the capability in the short term. “Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine. And unfortunately, in the short term, Europe can't replace this capability,” she said.

Zelenskyy appealed to EU leaders for at least 70 billion euros more next year for defence, weapons and resilience. In an address later posted on X, he said: “The war will cost 155 billion euros next year. And we need at least 70 euros billion more from you – for defence, for weapons, and for our resilience.”

“This is a realistic amount. And I ask you to find this support. It will help us hold Russia back,” he added.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told Reuters that the EU would probably need to extend another loan to Ukraine to help meet its budget shortfall next year. “Last winter was already hell, this one will be once again like hell,” he said.

EU leaders were also considering how to respond to energy prices that have risen since the Iran war. The issue exposed differences among member states on the summit's opening day on Thursday, even as leaders criticised the US agreement to purchase Russian diesel.

Those differences continued on Friday. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said member states were “incredibly far apart” over finalising the EU's budget. “There isn't even a glimpse, as they say, a shred of agreement on this,” he said.

The Brussels summit ended with Zelenskyy maintaining his criticism of the Russian diesel agreement and Moscow's position on peace talks, while pressing Europe for greater financial and military support. Ukraine continued to face Russian attacks and incomplete Starshield service as EU leaders considered further assistance amid divisions over energy costs and their own budget.

- Ends
Inputs from Reuters