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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed his "complete solidarity" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following recent tensions between Washington and Kyiv over a US-Russia agreement on diesel supplies.
During a telephone conversation, Burnham acknowledged that Ukraine had faced a difficult 24 hours and reaffirmed his complete solidarity with the Ukrainian leader, according to 10 Downing Street. Burnham emphasised that Britain would persist in tightening sanctions against Moscow. Both leaders also agreed to meet in person over the coming days to continue their discussions. The diplomatic exchange followed remarks by US President Donald Trump, who stated on Saturday that Ukraine should have a new president, alleging that Zelenskyy had failed to secure a peace agreement with Russia and holding him accountable for elevated diesel prices across the United States. The friction intensified after Washington unveiled measures on Friday to relax restrictions on the Russian diesel trade. Zelenskyy condemned the decision, contending that permitting Russia to market petroleum products effectively amounted to financing the war. In an extensive social media post on X, the Ukrainian president argued that enabling Moscow to generate revenue through petroleum exports would bolster its military capabilities rather than foster an end to hostilities. "Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilised world," Zelenskyy wrote. "Russia will 'repay' the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged," he added. These developments followed an announcement by Trump on Friday regarding a major agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, under which Moscow would supply millions of tonnes of diesel to the United States and international markets, with the stated aim of lowering fuel prices significantly. (ANI)
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