Kremlin calls Putin-Trump conversation “very substantive and friendly” as Russian diesel deal and sanctions easing draw Zelenskyy’s rebuke
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The Kremlin described Friday’s call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump as “very substantive and friendly,” after the leaders agreed on Russian diesel supplies that prompted a temporary easing of U.S. sanctions on Russian fuel. Reuters reported that the call lasted about an hour and a half and that neither leader wanted to be the first to hang up; they ended it at the same time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the deal, calling it a “weak decision” and “an investment in a war that must be ended.” The agreement drew anger from Ukraine and its allies.
Western sanctions restricting Russian energy imports were imposed after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
