US President Donald Trump announced an 'energy truce' between Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, saying both sides agreed to it. However, both the statements and attitudes of the party countries and Russia's continued attacks made Trump's statement that a "ceasefire was reached" in vain.
did not ask Ukraine
It turned out that Trump's statement was made without consulting Ukraine, which would be a party to the so-called ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy implied that they were actually excluded from the talks on the Washington-Kremlin line with his statement, "We are waiting for clear details about the dialogue between the USA and Russia." While Zelenskiy confirmed in his statement to the American press that he was 'not aware of this', he announced that Ukraine would comply with a ceasefire if the Russian side warns. Zelenskiy announced that "If Trump and Putin agree, they will also comply with this ceasefire."
Russia does not stop
However, despite Trump's statement, Russia's attacks did not stop. Zelenskiy announced that Russia continued its attacks despite the partial ceasefire announced by Trump and targeted his country's energy infrastructure. Stating that a facility in Kharkiv was also targeted, Zelenskiy said that the attacks caused power outages.
As a matter of fact, the statements made in Russia show that Moscow does not agree to the ceasefire. While Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Ukrainian President Zelenskiy was trying to gain time to arm himself with ceasefire calls, he said, "I do not think he deserves such a breathing opportunity." "I don't think we will fall for the assurances and promises once again," Lavrov said.
'Zelenskiy should agree to a ceasefire'
US President Donald Trump said about the Russia-Ukraine war, "Zelenskiy must agree to a ceasefire. We need to bring him together with Putin. We must do this as quickly as possible. I will say 'Agree' for the ceasefire, they will agree. This war is very terrible. 32 thousand people died. They lost many young soldiers." Adding that he spoke with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Salman, Trump said, "The attitude of the Houthis is very bad. They are very mischievous."
Why was Trump 'on fire'?
Trump's war in Iran caused problems in oil supply and a sharp rise in prices all over the world. This situation has created a serious problem for the Republican Party before the midterm elections to be held in the USA early next month. It is observed that high diesel prices reduce support for the party.
For this reason, Trump, who could not make any progress in ending the war in Iran, turned his attention to the Russia-Ukraine war. While Trump was disturbed by Ukraine's attack on Russian refineries and its impact on prices, his statements holding Ukraine responsible for the diesel prices in the world attracted attention. Trump even went so far as to say that Ukraine should elect a new leader. Trump's ceasefire request has been criticized as being only for the easier release of Russian diesel.
Ukraine: Erdogan can be a mediator
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that it may be possible for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin with the participation of US President Donald Trump or with the mediation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
USA threatened!
European officials claimed that the US administration "threatened" Ukraine with suspending intelligence sharing if it did not stop Russia's attacks on energy facilities. European officials, whose names were not shared, claimed that the USA threatened to suspend intelligence sharing with the Kiev administration and its partners in Europe and arms sales to Europe if Ukraine did not stop deep attacks on Russia's energy facilities.
Very harsh reaction to the diesel agreement
US President Donald Trump is facing increasing backlash over his plans to import diesel from Russia. Trump announced Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to immediately ship 300,000 tons of diesel fuel “to the American and global market,” with several other shipments to follow. This is despite the fact that the United States signed legislation a few weeks ago authorizing it to impose new sanctions and tariffs on countries importing Russian oil and natural gas. The move was criticized by some Republican and Democratic lawmakers who believed the deal violated US law. A group of seven senators, four Republicans and three Democrats, called on Trump to "change course" on Sunday, saying the deal violated US law. It was warned that the agreement could open new revenue channels for Moscow to finance its war against Ukraine.
The agreement also drew reaction from Europe. While EU foreign ministers stated that sanctions against Moscow will continue, they called for increasing support to Ukraine and maintaining pressure on Russia.
