Trump Keeps Russia at Table, Cites Fuel Prices

President Donald Trump defended his decision to block a series of sanctions on Russia just days before they were due to take effect, saying he won't do anything that could push Moscow away from peace talks. He also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of not wanting the war to end.

Trump explained his reasoning on Truth Social on Sunday, Oct. 18. "My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don't want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table," he wrote.

The Energy Equation

The sanctions waiver had a clear context. On October 9, Trump announced plans for Russia to supply more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel to U.S. and global markets. The goal was to ease fuel prices, which have climbed since the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran in late February.

That war carries a heavy economic price. Tehran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, the passage through which one-fifth of global energy exports had moved before the fighting began. When a chokepoint that size shuts, consumers feel it at the pump, while businesses see the effect on their balance sheets.

Trump also pointed to Ukraine's conduct in the energy fight. He said Kyiv was attacking diesel refineries in Russia despite knowing it was "seriously hurting the world diesel markets." In his view, Ukraine isn't considering the global cost.

Kyiv Pushes Back

Zelenskyy didn't take the decision quietly. He said waiving sanctions on Russia "will hurt Ukraine," and told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that it would strengthen Russian President Vladimir Putin's war effort. "We can't compare me and Putin. He's [an] aggressor. He occupied us. He killed adults and children, his soldiers. He's a terrorist, and that's why I hope that President Trump will be very clear with this position," Zelenskyy said.

Trump's embrace of Russian energy angered Kyiv, European partners and many U.S. officials. They argued that it rewarded Moscow as Russia continued its four-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Trump also answered the question of funding. "Zelenskyy doesn't care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him... he doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did," he wrote.

Diplomacy Continues

Despite the public friction, the two sides are still talking. Zelenskyy said on X on Sunday that he had spoken with U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as part of "virtually non-stop communication" between the countries' teams about the "next steps in diplomacy."

"We are doing everything on our part to make this happen, and to ensure that America's position is strong and helps bring peace closer. Peace that everyone, except Russia, has been waiting for over the past four and a half years," Zelenskyy wrote.

The talks continued as both countries kept striking each other's energy sites. Moscow's attacks left thousands without power. Kyiv carried out the largest drone attack on Russia, in St Petersburg, since the war began. Trump and Zelenskyy had been pictured greeting each other at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 28, 2025, less than a year ago.

Why This Matters:

Energy markets, sanctions policy and battlefield diplomacy are now tightly bound together. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, the administration is weighing fuel prices for American and global consumers against the pressure sanctions put on Moscow. That's a real tradeoff. Supply disruptions don't stay abstract for long.

Critics in Kyiv and Europe say the waiver rewards Russia; the White House says it keeps a negotiating channel open and eases diesel costs. Both claims will face a test in what follows. If talks yield a settlement, the approach gets credit. If they stall while Russia gains revenue, questions about leverage will grow louder. Allies are also watching how Washington balances its economic interests against commitments abroad, and how much of the burden Europe is willing to carry.