Trump, Zelensky clash over diesel deal as Russian strikes kill 21

A public rift has erupted between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Washington moved to ease sanctions on Russian diesel, even as fresh Russian bombardments killed at least 21 civilians across Ukraine.

Trump announced that following a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he had agreed to allow Moscow to release substantial quantities of diesel onto international markets. The decision comes ahead of next month's U.S. midterm elections, where Trump's party faces political headwinds linked to high domestic fuel costs. Trump stated the global fuel market has been under severe pressure due to the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

The shift drew fierce pushback from Kyiv and European leaders. Zelensky characterized the sanctions relief as a "weak decision." In response, Trump publicly criticized the Ukrainian leader on Saturday, asserting that Zelensky had ignored requests to halt strikes against Russian oil refineries. Trump warned that Ukraine "better damn well stop" targeting those facilities and argued that Ukrainians should find a replacement for Zelensky, saying, "I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal, because he could have made many deals that, for some reason, he never does."

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also condemned the sanction adjustments, stating on social media that relaxing restrictions on Russian fuel supplies would simply finance Moscow's war effort. Kallas emphasized that Europe has no intention of easing pressure on Russia.

The political dispute unfolded alongside severe Russian military strikes. In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Russian glide bombs struck residential areas early Saturday, killing 20 people, including three children, according to Ukrainian emergency services. Zelensky noted that five glide bombs hit apartment buildings, sardonically calling the assault Russia's way of expressing gratitude for the easing of diesel sanctions.

Elsewhere, a Russian drone strike claimed the life of an 11-year-old boy in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, local authorities reported. In Kyiv, explosions damaged infrastructure and triggered wide power cuts, while Russia's defense ministry stated its forces had targeted a military data center.

The diplomatic friction coincided with discussions in Miami between American, European, and Ukrainian officials attempting to find a pathway toward ending the conflict before winter sets in. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff called the talks constructive, though the Ukrainian delegation departed for home following the meetings. Moscow confirmed that Trump had outlined his conflict-resolution ideas to Putin on Friday, stating the Russian president met the proposals with understanding, though no specific terms were disclosed.