Trump Undermines Ukraine with Russia Diesel Deal, Curbed Aid — SkimNews
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- Trump called Zelensky 'not a good guy for us to deal with' and dismissed his criticism of a U.S.-Russia diesel deal, signaling a sharp deterioration in their relationship.
- Trump administration struck a deal with Vladimir Putin to open U.S. markets to Russian diesel, undermining Ukraine’s campaign against Russian oil infrastructure and drawing condemnation from Kyiv.
- Trump waived sanctions under the Graham Act two days before they were to take effect, a move Kyiv views as siding with Moscow and weakening pressure on Russia.
- U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine was temporarily disrupted during Russian ballistic missile attacks, with Zelensky stating Ukraine received no early warnings for three days, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed a 'software problem'.
- Starlink connectivity for Ukrainian military operations was reportedly throttled, impairing drone defense, with suspicions pointing to White House involvement despite Rubio denying any order to slow service.
- Zelensky expressed frustration over 'hard to explain' U.S. decisions, warning of political moves to slow support, while reaffirming Ukraine’s openness to negotiated peace with dignity.
Why it matters: Ukraine loses critical military advantages as U.S. support falters—only a couple of Patriot interceptors remain, early warnings failed during attacks, and drone defenses are hampered. Trump’s actions reward Russia economically and diplomatically while weakening Kyiv’s battlefield resilience and trust in American partnership.
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