BS BULLETIN:
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Trump reportedly struck his diesel agreement with Putin after Ukraine ignored six U.S. requests to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
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A U.S. official says the attacks were hurting American consumers by driving up fuel prices.
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Zelensky says he was blindsided by the agreement, calling it a gift to Putin.
President Donald Trump’s surprise diesel deal with Vladimir Putin has a backstory — and it involves six requests that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly ignored.
According to Axios, a U.S. official with direct knowledge said Trump moved forward with the Russian energy agreement after repeatedly asking Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries.
The administration’s concern wasn’t simply Moscow. Ukrainian strikes had disrupted Russian fuel production and exports, adding pressure to already strained global diesel markets and American consumers.
“Zelensky is misreading the room,” the official told Axios, warning that the refinery attacks were eroding goodwill Zelensky had built with Trump.
Zelensky had offered to halt attacks on Russian refineries if Moscow stopped targeting Ukraine’s power plants. Trump wanted Ukraine to stop its strikes without that condition.
The disagreement came to a head Friday as Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian negotiators in Miami.
A Ukrainian official claimed the envoys threatened to cut off American intelligence sharing if Kyiv continued the refinery attacks. The U.S. official denied that any such threat was made.
Then Trump announced his agreement with Putin, opening the door for millions of tons of Russian diesel to enter American and global markets. The Treasury Department temporarily eased sanctions to facilitate the sales.
Zelensky was furious.
“You know, it looks like a happy birthday present for Putin. It looks absolutely terrible,” he told Axios.
He also called the agreement “not fair and not honest,” complaining that Ukrainian negotiators were meeting with Trump’s representatives while Washington was simultaneously arranging the Russian deal.
Trump, meanwhile, emphasized the impact on American fuel prices, particularly for farmers, ranchers and truckers.
The diplomatic fallout could complicate peace negotiations. According to Axios, Putin did not commit to restarting talks with Ukraine during his 90-minute conversation with Trump.
And the refinery war isn’t over. Ukrainian drones reportedly struck a Russian oil facility hours after the agreement was announced.
MY QUICK TAKE
There’s a familiar Trump negotiating lesson here: When he asks you six times to stop doing something, you probably shouldn’t assume the seventh request is coming with a fruit basket.
But here’s the million-dollar question: If Putin gets relief from sanctions, what exactly does Trump get from Putin besides diesel?
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