Rags are flying between Washington and Kiev: President Donald Trump, enraged by Volodymyr Zelensky's reactions to the US-Russia diesel deal and the failure to halt Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, is calling for a change in Ukrainian leadership with unprecedented verbal violence . Zelensky "could have ended this war on many occasions. He wants to create problems for the world and for farmers. It's time for Ukraine to have a new president," the tycoon said before a campaign rally in Tennessee.
" I suggest that Ukraine find a new leader capable of reaching an agreement ," he insisted, emphasizing that Zelensky "can do what he wants, but he cannot hit the refineries." "Iconic and historic," Russian presidential envoy and negotiator Kirill Dmitriev exulted in X, publishing a Time cover with a photo of the Ukrainian president and the caption "The Endgame."
Trump, according to consistent sources, demands that Ukraine unilaterally halt attacks on Russian plants, believing they are driving up energy prices in the United States : an absolutely crucial issue for the tycoon in the final weeks of the midterm election campaign, which is clearly on the upside for Republicans according to polls. And Washington's new, perhaps decisive, U-turn in relations with Moscow came during the phone call between Trump and Vladimir Putin, which "lasted an hour and a half," was "very intense and friendly," so much so that neither "wanted to be the first to hang up." The White House's slap in the face toward Zelensky, after his humiliation in the Oval Office, follows furious criticism from Kiev and Brussels of the diesel deal between Trump and Putin in exchange for a lifting of sanctions, a move branded as a "green light" for the escalation of Russian missiles and drones in Ukraine. Washington didn't appreciate it , threatening to cut off intelligence-sharing with Kiev during negotiations with the Ukrainians and Europeans, which were underway at the same time in Miami. Zelensky, after accusing the US of showing its weakness, doubled down as the daily deluge of bombs in Ukraine claimed the lives of more civilians.
" Russia expressed its gratitude for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five guided bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhia ," he denounced as rescuers pulled bodies from the rubble, including those of three children. The final toll will be 20 dead and 18 injured in yet another massacre this week. The Ukrainian leader, who received a phone call of solidarity from French President Emmanuel Macron—who, however, did not comment on the diesel agreement—called for "strong signals from the United States, Europe, and other partners in support of Ukraine to reduce Russia's ability to wage war and spread terror."
Kiev, it is clear, has no intention of responding to American pressure by reducing its attacks on Russian soil. Indeed, on the day of the diesel agreement, its drones caused the closure of Moscow's airports, forcing several Russian government planes—including the one carrying Putin back from Turkmenistan—to reroute to St. Petersburg and land in the capital only later.
Another resounding swipe at the US-Russia telephone agreement came from Brussels : "Russian attacks have killed over 80 Ukrainian civilians in two days, the suspension of sanctions on Russian diesel fuel guarantees Moscow more revenue to finance the war," thundered EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, also citing the intensification of hybrid attacks against Europe, and recalling that on Monday EU foreign ministers intend to approve a broad package of sanctions against the Russian war machine. In this heated climate, a glimmer of hope for peace remains open. The Miami talks "were constructive," said US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who, along with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner , is reportedly considering a mission to Moscow in the coming weeks. In the phone call with the tycoon, Putin "reportedly showed great understanding regarding some US proposals for de-escalating the conflict in Ukraine," the Kremlin reports. Meanwhile, however, the Ukrainian negotiating team left the Miami meeting early, a sign that Kiev has a different opinion.
(Unioneonline)
