The U.S. and Russia reached energy cooperation. Zelensky felt "betrayed" and the U.S. president suggested that Ukraine change its leader.

Since the U.S. presidential envoy led a delegation to visit Russia and Ukraine in early September, the news that the trilateral talks between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine will be restarted has returned to the forefront of everyone’s minds. But a month later, the date for the resumption of talks has not yet been determined. On October 9, the heads of state of the United States and Russia had a phone call without Ukraine and announced that they had reached an agreement on Russia’s supply of diesel to the United States. One day later, the Russian government announced that in order to implement the agreement reached by the Russian and American presidents, Russia had partially lifted its diesel export ban.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly expressed disappointment with this energy cooperation between Russia and the United States and said he felt "betrayed." Regarding related issues, US President Trump did not directly respond to Ukraine’s accusations on the 9th. However, on the 10th, he resumed his usual tough attitude towards Ukraine and even suggested replacing the Ukrainian president.

The heads of state of Russia and the United States held a phone call and each announced news about Russian oil supplies to the United States.

Following the phone call on September 8 to discuss the results of the US delegation's visit to Russia, the US and Russian presidents had another phone call about a month later on October 9. According to official statements released by Russia and the United States, the topics discussed by Putin and Trump involved Russia-US relations, prospects for resolving the Ukraine crisis, the situation in Iran, and the international energy market situation. Among them, when it comes to energy issues, Russia and the United States announced that they have reached an agreement on Russia’s supply of diesel to the United States.

Putin: Russia is willing to supply oil and petroleum products to the United States

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement released by the Russian Kremlin on the 9th about his phone call with US President Trump that day, Russia is willing to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and global markets. Putin stressed that this would have a positive impact on the global economy. The two sides confirmed that the two presidents will continue to maintain direct contact and continue to cooperate through the presidential office, intelligence and security services and other government agencies.

In addition, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Novak also stated that Russia is willing to increase the supply of diesel to the US market in October. He also said that diesel exports may increase in November and December as refineries complete maintenance. On the 10th, the Russian government officially announced the partial lifting of the diesel export ban, and the relevant measures officially took effect on that day. The Russian government announced that the move was aimed at implementing the agreement previously reached by Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Trump. According to relevant decisions, Russia will currently allow the export of 500,000 tons of diesel to the international market.

U.S. eases sanctions on Russian diesel trade, Trump says Russia will supply oil to U.S.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury also issued an announcement on the 9th that it will relax sanctions on Russian diesel trade in the coming months to ease the tight supply of domestic diesel in the United States and stabilize oil prices.

According to Trump's earlier statement on social media, Russia will immediately provide more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and global markets, and provide another 500,000 tons in November. After that, Russia will also provide 1 million tons of diesel to the market. In addition, Russia will deliver 3 million tons of diesel in the short term based on the conditions of its refineries. Trump said that coupled with the fact that the United States has "complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz, diesel prices are expected to "record a large and rapid decline."

Data show that the average retail price of diesel in the United States on the 9th was US$6.28 per gallon, a year-on-year increase of more than 70%.

The President of Ukraine approves the energy cooperation between the United States and Russia. The President of the United States recommends that the President of Ukraine be replaced.

Ukraine immediately expressed dissatisfaction with the energy cooperation reached between Russia and the United States. Ukrainian President Zelensky immediately expressed his disappointment after learning the news on the 9th. Later on the evening of the 9th, Zelensky posted a post on social media, indirectly criticizing the US move as "unfair" to Ukraine.

Ukrainian president criticizes US as "unfair" and says he feels "betrayed"

In an interview with the media on the 9th, Zelensky first said that he was disappointed with the Russian-US energy cooperation and said that he felt "betrayed". Later that day, Zelensky further expressed his dissatisfaction in a social media post.

Zelensky stated in the article that Ukraine "counts on fair support from the United States" and that allowing Russia to sell oil products "is investing in war." He expressed disappointment and said he felt "betrayed."

Uzbek President: The Uzbek negotiating team was used as a "smoke screen"

It is worth noting that on the day the United States announced the relaxation of sanctions on Russian diesel trade, representatives from the United States, Ukraine and European countries met in Miami, Florida, to discuss easing the situation between Russia and Ukraine and ending the conflict.

When Zelensky talked about the Miami meeting in an interview on the 9th, he once again criticized the energy cooperation reached by the United States and Russia. In his view, the Uzbek negotiating team was used as a "smoke screen" when the United States and Russia finalized the diesel supply agreement while participating in the Miami negotiations. He believed that this move was "unfair" and not the way partners should conduct themselves. Then on the 10th, news from Ukraine showed that the relevant talks between Ukraine, the United States and European countries in Miami, USA, ended early, and the relevant negotiations originally scheduled for the next day would not continue.

The US president refused to comment a day later and suggested that the Ukrainian president should be replaced.

U.S. President Trump initially did not rebuke Zelensky's criticism as strongly as usual.

After ending his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 9th, Trump first expressed his gratitude to Russian President Putin when he publicly discussed the energy supply cooperation reached between the United States and Russia at the White House.

Later, when a reporter asked Trump on the spot how he would respond to Ukrainian President Zelensky’s “criticism of the United States as ‘weak’,” Trump only said that the world and the United States need oil, that he was very happy to see the United States and Russia reach this agreement, and that oil prices were already plummeting. He did not directly respond to Zelensky’s criticism.

But on the 10th, Trump’s attitude turned tough. He said Zelensky "can do whatever he wants, but he cannot attack Russian oil refineries," adding that "he had better stop." When it comes to resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Trump said that he suggested that Ukraine change its president "so that they can reach an agreement."

Experts: The United States and Russia have reached energy cooperation. Both parties have their own needs, and it is difficult to change the global energy game pattern.

Zhang Hong, a researcher at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the diesel trade arrangement reached by the United States and Russia this time is mainly due to their respective domestic economic and diplomatic needs.

At the economic level, the United States and Russia each have their own needs: the United States hopes to ease the sanctions on Russian diesel and introduce Russian refined oil to stabilize the sharply rising domestic diesel prices, ease inflation and pressure on people's livelihood, and help support the mid-term elections. Russia took this opportunity to offset the impact of sanctions and stabilize fiscal revenue. At the same time, Russia can also use this energy cooperation to increase internal differences in the Western sanctions camp and weaken the unified sanctions system against Russia.

At the diplomatic level, the United States and Russia are testing the waters of cooperation: The two sides are trying to test the waters through energy cooperation, trying to appropriately separate the Russia-Ukraine conflict from the Russian-U.S. bilateral relations, and break through the deadlock in relations caused by geopolitical confrontation.

Zhang Hong also pointed out that the relevant arrangements between Russia and the United States this time are more of an exchange of interests at the tactical level, and the basis for cooperation is relatively fragile. It is difficult to resolve the deep-seated structural strategic contradictions between the two sides, and it is impossible to fundamentally change the current global energy game pattern.

Director System丨Tang Yi

Producer丨Zhao Xinyu

Editor丨Jin Lucheng