Trump signs diesel deal with Putin, drawing Zelenskyy’s criticism as ‘birthday present’ for Russian leader

New Delhi: The US president, Donald Trump, on Friday unveiled a deal with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to bring millions of tonnes of Russian diesel to the US and global markets. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reacted sharply, calling the deal a “happy birthday present” for Putin. The announcement comes weeks after Trump signed legislation expanding Washington’s powers to impose sanctions on Russia and tariffs on countries purchasing its energy, including India and China.

In a post on Friday, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes thereafter. More than 3 million tonnes of diesel are also expected within a short period, depending on the condition of Russian refineries.

“Between our TOTAL CONTROL of the Strait of Hormuz, and this great announcement on Russian Energy, Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST!” Trump wrote, describing lower fuel prices as a priority for American farmers, ranchers and truckers. The announcement followed a telephone conversation between the two leaders on global energy supplies. Putin subsequently confirmed Russia’s willingness to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and other markets, without specifying quantities.

The US treasury department also issued a temporary licence allowing Russian diesel exports under the arrangement, although the full terms of the deal and any concessions secured from Moscow remain unclear. The move has raised questions about Washington’s approach to Russia, particularly as the US continues to retain broader sanctions against the country.

“It looks absolutely terrible”: Zelenskyy hits back

Zelenskyy criticized the timing of the announcement in a phone interview with Axios, saying Washington had been engaging with Kyiv on efforts to end the war while simultaneously negotiating an energy deal with Moscow. “It looks like that they used this opportunity to meet us from one side, and from the other side called Putin and negotiate this,” he said, adding, “It’s not honest, really, because we tried to build our relations in the best way.”

“You know, it looks like a happy birthday present for Putin. It looks absolutely terrible,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the Russian president’s birthday earlier in the week. He called the decision “not fair and not honest”, questioning why Moscow was being offered economic relief without an apparent commitment to end its war against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president argued that allowing Russia to sell more diesel would help sustain its war effort while Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continued. In a separate social media post, he described the arrangement as “an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged”, urging Washington to maintain pressure on Moscow.

Zelenskyy also compared the move to the previous Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, calling it “Alaska No 2” and questioning what the US had secured in return. However, he said Ukraine still needed American support to end the conflict and indicated that easing energy restrictions could have been acceptable if linked to an agreement to halt attacks on energy facilities.

“If the price is energy ceasefire, this negotiation is good,” Zelenskyy said. His remarks underscored Kyiv’s concern that relaxing restrictions without a reciprocal Russian commitment could weaken diplomatic pressure on Moscow.

Diesel deal follows US sanctions law

The deal comes after Trump signed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which gives the US president greater powers to impose sanctions and tariffs on Russia and countries buying its energy. As RNA Media had earlier reported, the law allows tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, including India and China, subject to presidential action.

The deal also follows the G7’s announcement of plans to release up to 100 million barrels of oil and refined fuel over four months to ease supply shortages. The International Energy Agency will coordinate the release as countries try to control rising fuel prices. The US move to secure more fuel supplies also comes ahead of the US midterm elections.

While Washington has temporarily eased restrictions to allow Russian diesel exports, it continues to maintain wider economic pressure on Moscow.