US President Donald Trump has said negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war are making “great progress”, while defending his administration’s approach towards Moscow and criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for not securing what he described as a better agreement two years ago.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his strategy is centred on keeping Russia engaged in negotiations and avoiding actions that could push Moscow away from the bargaining table. He argued that progress is being made not only on potential peace arrangements but also on ongoing hostage negotiations, and said he could sign a related document at a later stage if required.

Trump also addressed concerns about Russia’s relationship with Iran, claiming Moscow is providing little assistance to Tehran compared with what it could potentially offer. He said maintaining that situation is an important consideration in his diplomatic calculations.

The US President further criticised Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel refineries, arguing that such attacks are disrupting global diesel supplies and affecting fuel markets, including in the United States. 

He praised Russia for continuing to export diesel at comparatively low prices and referred to an agreement under which Moscow would supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel, followed by a further 5,00,000 tons in November and 1 million tons thereafter.

According to Trump, rising diesel costs are negatively affecting farmers, ranchers and businesses. He contended that attacks on Russian refinery infrastructure are contributing to those pressures and accused Zelensky of knowingly targeting facilities that have a significant influence on international energy markets.

Trump also alleged that Zelensky has little incentive to bring the conflict to an end because of the substantial financial assistance Ukraine continues to receive from Europe and previously received from the administration of former US President Joe Biden. He argued that Ukraine is now in a significantly weaker position than it was two years ago and claimed a more favourable settlement could have been reached earlier in the conflict.

The comments come amid growing controversy over the Trump administration’s decision to suspend key new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia. Trump has maintained that additional economic pressure at this stage could undermine ongoing peace efforts by discouraging Russian participation in negotiations. Administration officials have similarly argued that the temporary relief serves broader national security and economic interests.

The sanctions pause followed an executive order that delayed major provisions of legislation designed to increase economic pressure on Moscow after its 2022 military escalation. The move has drawn criticism from supporters of tougher measures against Russia, while the administration insists it needs time to assess the wider economic consequences of imposing new restrictions.

Additional scrutiny has focused on a recently announced diesel arrangement between Washington and Moscow. Supporters argue the deal could help ease pressure on fuel prices, while critics contend it risks weakening Western leverage over Russia and undermining support for Ukraine.

Zelensky has strongly rejected the suggestion that easing sanctions will encourage peace. He said Russia has launched dozens of attacks on Ukrainian energy, oil and gas infrastructure during the past week despite a diplomatic announcement concerning a temporary energy ceasefire.

In a statement on X, the Ukrainian leader said Russia had carried out 76 attacks on Ukraine’s energy and oil and gas sectors since the ceasefire announcement, with strikes affecting electrical infrastructure in the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa regions.

Zelensky warned that relaxing restrictions on Moscow could embolden the Kremlin and encourage further military action rather than meaningful negotiations. He argued that reducing economic pressure on Russia would only strengthen its determination to continue the war.

The Ukrainian President said additional sanctions relief may follow and expressed concern that such measures reward Moscow while failing to advance prospects for peace. He insisted that easing restrictions does not contribute to ending the conflict and instead encourages further aggression.

The latest exchange highlights widening differences between Washington and Kyiv over the best path towards ending the war, with the Trump administration prioritising negotiations and economic considerations, while Ukraine continues to argue that sustained pressure on Russia remains essential to achieving a lasting settlement.

ANI