Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Washington was still helping Ukraine and sharing intelligence with it, Reuters reported. He said the US wants the war to end and is working with both Kyiv and Moscow, adding that Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky both want the fighting to stop but "don't know how to achieve it." Trump said there is intense hatred between the two leaders.
The remarks followed a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv on Monday evening. Ukraine's Air Force said no launches from Russian territory had been detected, and that the alert was declared only as the missiles were already approaching the city. Zelensky noted that the usual warning "from partners" did not come this time.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha later said Kyiv continues to receive intelligence from the United States, and that the delay in sounding the alert was due to Russia's use of a "specific type of weapon."
Trump was also asked about a deal on Russian diesel fuel that drew criticism from US lawmakers in both parties. Senators believe it may violate US restrictions on imports of Russian energy carriers imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Asked whether Russia could use proceeds from the deal to buy weapons, Trump did not answer directly. He said it was a diesel fuel deal and that the product goes to the world market, not to the US.
After a conversation with Putin on September 9, Trump announced an agreement to resume supplies of Russian diesel, temporarily exempting it from the sanctions regime. The US Treasury issued a general license permitting the sale, delivery, unloading and import of Russian diesel, valid until April 7, 2027. The agreement was criticized in Kyiv and in EU countries. Trump justified it by the need to lower prices on the world market and, as a result, in the US. He also said the Ukrainian president had not heeded Washington's demands not to strike Russian oil refineries.
A number of media outlets, citing sources, reported that the US was considering suspending the transfer of intelligence to Ukraine about Russia's actions in order to push it toward concessions in talks. Both Kyiv and Washington denied this.