Trump administration purchases Russian diesel and pressures Ukraine on energy strikes

The Trump administration has bought diesel fuel from Russia and asked Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries. Ukraine had been hitting these refineries successfully, causing serious energy problems inside Russia. When Ukraine ignored the request, U.S. officials threatened to cut off intelligence sharing. They also reduced some of that sharing and waived certain sanctions on Russia. Ukrainian President Zelensky said he did not know about the fuel deal in advance. He called it unfair and dishonest. Ukrainian officials also reported losing access to Starlink satellite technology during this period. Members of Congress from both parties held emergency meetings about the policy change. The shift has created a serious diplomatic crisis between Washington and Kyiv.