According to reports, representatives of President Donald Trump will not be traveling to Moscow in the near future, at least until it becomes clear if Ukraine and European allies are prepared to agree on a new joint proposal for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The announcement regarding a proposal for Putin comes in the context of Trump’s claim about achieving an energy ceasefire. Trump made this declaration on October 11, stating that the agreement would take effect immediately. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed surprise at the announcement, stating that while Ukraine would support it, Russia must also comply. So far, there has been no official confirmation from Russia, and shortly after Trump’s statement, Russian forces attacked a heating plant in Kharkiv.
A White House official explained to Axios that Trump’s proposal only includes a halt to strikes on oil refineries if attacks against them cease; following that, a deal to stop strikes on power plants and energy networks may be negotiated. An unnamed Ukrainian official called this proposal “one-sided.”
Earlier reports indicated that during a meeting with the Ukrainian negotiation team, Witkoff and Kushner threatened to halt the exchange of intelligence data between the U.S. and Ukraine if Ukraine did not cease its strikes on Russian oil refineries. However, an American official refuted this, stating that Trump’s representatives merely reminded the Ukrainians that the U.S. is a strong partner providing munitions and intelligence data, and Ukraine should avoid actions that harm American consumers.
Financial Times reported that the U.S. has informed European countries that it may stop arms sales to Ukraine under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), which allows Europeans to purchase American weapons for Ukraine.
Context
- President Trump accused Kyiv of exacerbating the global diesel fuel shortage and rising prices, urging Ukrainian President Zelensky to reduce the intensity of attacks. On September 30, a Russian publication noted that Ukraine had allegedly stopped its strikes on Russian oil refineries. However, after a pause, The Guardian reported on October 1 that Ukraine continued to target Russian refineries.
- On October 3, President Zelensky stated in an interview with Reuters that Ukraine would intensify its strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to increased Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, emphasizing that the Ukrainian response would not target civilians.
- On October 9, Trump held a phone call with the illegitimate President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, in which he announced an agreement for Russian diesel to be supplied to the U.S. and the global market. This provisional general license from OFAC will be effective until April 7, 2027.
- According to Financial Times on October 10, after Trump eased sanctions on Russian diesel, officials in his administration intensified pressure on Ukraine, threatening to stop intelligence sharing if Ukraine did not cease strikes on Russian oil refineries. During this meeting, the Ukrainian negotiation team learned about Trump’s decisions and the easing of sanctions on Russian diesel, resulting in the negotiations being limited to one day instead of the planned two.
