A Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia killed 20 people on Saturday, a day after Donald Trump announced a deal to lift sanctions on Russian diesel. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticised the White House, while Putin said an immediate resumption of peace talks was unlikely.
Twenty people, including three children, were killed in a Russian attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday. The strike came a day after the US president announced a deal to lift sanctions on Russian diesel, which Reuters described as a major setback for Kyiv.
Eighteen others were wounded in the attack on the industrial city. Zaporizhzhia has been a regular target of Russian bombardment, with strikes intensifying in the past few months.
Zelenskiy ties the strike to the sanctions decision
Zelenskiy said Russia dropped five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia after the sanctions relief. Reuters described his remarks as some of his sharpest criticism yet of the White House.
According to Zelenskiy: "Different signals are needed," he said, arguing that Russia perceives any easing of pressure as a signal it can keep fighting.
Trump's diesel move comes amid fuel price pressure
Trump's decision comes as his administration seeks to curb fuel prices, which have risen sharply during the US conflict with Iran. Kyiv had urged Washington to increase pressure on Moscow instead, to force it into serious negotiations.
The announcement came while Ukrainian and European officials held talks with US negotiators in Miami on Friday, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Zelenskiy said the move had caught Kyiv by surprise.
Peace talks remain uncertain
Russian President Vladimir Putin said after a call with Trump that an immediate resumption of peace talks was unlikely, citing Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow. Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing a source, that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may visit Moscow within the next two weeks.
Source: Reuters via Investing.com
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