KYIV: Ukraine will no longer abide by US President Donald Trump’s demands not to strike Russian oil refineries, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks published Thursday, as tensions deepened between the two leaders over a US-Russia diesel agreement.
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have soured since last week, when Trump eased sanctions on Russia in exchange for Moscow releasing large amounts of diesel onto global markets.
Zelensky described the deal as a “weak decision”, saying it would encourage Russia to prolong its four-and-a-half-year war with Ukraine, while several of Ukraine’s European allies criticised the agreement.
Addressing the criticism on Saturday, Trump claimed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries were to blame for rising diesel prices and said it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president”.