Zelenskyy Rejects Trump Russia Deal; Ex-NATO Chief Warns of War Boost

President Donald Trump’s push for a diesel deal with Russia could give Vladimir Putin a new source of revenue for his war in Ukraine while enabling Moscow to stall through negotiations it may have no intention of honoring, a former NATO commander said Sunday.

Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, who previously served as NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe and led U.S. European Command, told News Outlet that Washington could also weaken Ukraine’s war effort by reaching an agreement with what he described as “the enemy.”

“And so we are cutting a deal with the enemy,” Breedlove said. He warned that “all of this money will go into fueling Mr. Putin’s continued attacks in Ukraine.”

Russia’s government announced Saturday that it had immediately eased restrictions on diesel exports after Putin and Trump reached a new agreement allowing Moscow to supply the United States and international markets, Reuters reported.

As previously reported by News Outlet, the arrangement includes 300,000 tonnes of diesel “to the American and global marketplace,” followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and an additional 1 million tonnes later.

The diesel arrangement came before Trump announced Sunday what he called an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, saying the two sides had agreed to stop strikes against energy infrastructure.

“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, however, that Kyiv had not received notice of a completed ceasefire agreement. He said Ukraine was prepared to stop targeting Russian energy facilities if Moscow did the same, while accusing Putin of repeatedly turning down peace initiatives and continuing attacks on Ukraine’s energy network.

“Ukraine has proposed many de-escalatory steps. Putin had one answer to all of them – ‘nyet,’” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

“We do hope that he will finally say something to America, Ukraine, and the entire world that will lead to a real and dignified peace,” he added.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces had launched more than 200 attacks over the previous week against Ukraine’s electricity-generation and transmission facilities, as well as 17 strikes on gas and oil infrastructure.

Those attacks killed more than 150 people and injured over 700 during the same period, he said.

Trump’s declaration came amid friction between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries. The strikes are part of Ukraine’s effort to cut into the revenue Moscow uses to sustain its military campaign.

Breedlove said Russia and Ukraine are fighting toward fundamentally different objectives. He accused Moscow of attacking civilians and vital infrastructure, while characterizing Ukraine’s strikes on Russian energy sites as an attempt to disrupt the income financing Putin’s war.

“Russia is carrying on a campaign of what we call counter value. In other words, Russia is attacking the Ukrainian people and trying to force their society to separate themselves from their president, President Zelenskyy,” Breedlove said.

He also predicted that the Trump administration would pressure Zelenskyy to halt attacks on Russia’s oil sector, despite the strategic role those operations play in undermining Moscow’s war effort.

“What I expect will happen is the United States will force or try to force Zelenskyy to stop bombing the petrochemical business in Russia,” he said.

Trump has vehemently criticized Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, arguing that they are disrupting global diesel supplies and driving up costs for American farmers and ranchers.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the administration’s efforts to increase diesel supplies.

“We’re going to do it with all the legal authorities we have,” Bessent said Sunday on Fox News. “This is good for the American people, bringing these diesel prices down,” he said of the new deal.

Separately, appearing on ABC News’ “This Week,” Zelenskyy offered to organize Ukrainian elections if Putin agreed to a reciprocal 60-day ceasefire, although holding a vote would face legal and logistical obstacles under Ukraine’s martial law.

Breedlove also expressed deep skepticism that Putin would honor any such ceasefire, citing what he described as a pattern of Russian attacks following negotiations with Trump. “Russia has never kept a promise to this president in this war,” Breedlove said.

“He’s never changed his expectations, and he’s never delivered on his promises. Three out of four of the big cases, the very next day or that same night after the president and Mr. Putin talked, Mr. Putin launched huge attacks in Ukraine,” Breedlove continued.

Breedlove also called for a tougher U.S. response.

“We now need an administration that leads from power. We say all the time, ‘strength through power,’ but when it comes to Russia, our demonstrated position is continued conflict through weakness,” Breedlove warned.

“He started this war. This war is to benefit Russia, and this war is to keep Mr. Putin in power. And our administration needs to tell him to stop.”