Zelenskyy accuses Trump of ‘smokescreen’ oil deal amid talks to end Ukraine war

NPR, carrying Associated Press reporting, says Trump announced the deal as his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were meeting with Ukrainian officials to discuss a proposal to try to end the Russia-Ukraine war.[2]According to PBS, Trump announced that Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter."[3] NPR reports that the Treasury Department said it was immediately issuing a temporary license allowing Russian diesel to be supplied to the global market.[2]NPR quotes Zelenskyy as saying: "I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen. And that is certainly not fair."[2] Zelenskyy told Axios the decision was "not fair and not honest"[4] and said "it looks like a happy birthday present for Putin."[4]CBC reports that Putin said in a Kremlin statement that Russia "confirmed its readiness to supply oil and oil products to the American and global markets."[5]According to CBC, Democratic leaders in the Senate said the decision was tantamount to "selling out Ukraine and our allies[5]."Axios reports that Trump was asked several times by reporters on Friday about Zelensky's criticism but declined to comment and said he was happy about the deal with Putin.[4]Axios also reports that Zelenskyy stopped short of saying the episode meant Washington could no longer mediate between Kyiv and Moscow[4]. Zelenskyy told the outlet: "We need the Americans."[4]