Donald Trump signed a $4.5bn oil deal with Vladimir Putin after Ukraine reportedly refused his demands to halt drone attacks on Russia, it has emerged.
During a crunch eight-hour summit in Miami on Friday, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner threatened to exclude Kyiv from its intelligence sharing network if it refused to stop striking Russian oil refineries, a US source told Axios. Ukraine, which currently relies on American intelligence to carry out its long-range strikes on Russian targets, is said to have declined the request.
Deal announced after summit
Shortly after the summit ended, Donald Trump announced he had agreed a deal with Vladimir Putin to "immediately" purchase 4.8 million tonnes of Russian diesel. Russian media reported that the deal, which would see further orders placed throughout the winter, could eventually be worth an estimated $4.5 billion (£3.3bn).
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "I have just concluded a highly successful discussion with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, wherein it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter. Additionally, based on the condition of their Diesel Refineries, Russia will then deliver, within a short period of time, 3,000,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel.
He added: "Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority. This is a very big and important announcement."
Zelensky accuses Trump of handing Kremlin a 'gift'
The move sparked a furious response from Volodymyr Zelensky, who accused Trump of handing the Kremlin a "gift" and prolonging the war. He wrote on social media that the deal "plays into Russia's hands - allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world."
"We count on America's fair support for our defence of life, for our defence of people in Ukraine, and on the United States to have a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one".
Ukraine launched a fresh drone strike on a Russian oil plant in the early hours of Saturday morning, setting the facility ablaze in Russia's Rostov region. The regional governor stated that more than 50 drones were intercepted during the attack on Yug Rusi oil shipping terminal, and no injuries were reported.
