US to Ease Sanctions on Russian Fuel, Catching Ukrainian and European Delegations Off Guard
On 9 October, representatives of US President Donald Trump told Ukrainian and European delegations in Washington that sanctions on Russian fuel would be eased. A Ukrainian official sharply criticised the move.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, representatives of US President Donald Trump, informed Ukrainian and European delegations in Washington on 9 October that Trump intends to ease sanctions on Russian fuel. Jauns.lv reports this, citing The Kyiv Independent. The news caused outrage among Ukrainian and European representatives, as it came while Kyiv is trying to reach an agreement with Moscow to stop attacks on energy facilities.
An unexpected announcement during talks
The Ukrainian delegation had travelled to the United States to discuss a possible mutual agreement to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. During the talks, however, they received entirely different news. One Ukrainian official said those present initially could not believe what they were hearing, and described the delegations' reaction by saying: "Everyone just sat there like fools."
Sharp criticism of the US course
The same official criticised Trump's foreign policy, accusing him of dragging allies into a war with Iran that, in the official's words, has no way out. The official believes the US president is now ready to sacrifice Ukraine's interests in order to gain a short-term economic respite of a few months ahead of the upcoming midterm elections to Congress.
Kyiv's position
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously stated that Kyiv would be ready to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow ended its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. He stressed that any steps to reduce the conflict must be mutual and come with real guarantees.
