EU plans 1,600 new Russia sanctions listings for Monday approval
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched deadly strikes on Ukrainian civilians as “thanks” for a deal cut by Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin to buy large quantities of Russian diesel, accusing Washington of helping fund Moscow’s war.
The Ukrainian president has expressed repeated outrage at the agreement announced by Trump on Oct. 9, which the U.S. president said was needed to reduce diesel prices, and which comes ahead of November midterm elections where the cost of fuel is a key voter issue. The deal appeared to blindside Kyiv, arriving while Ukrainian negotiators were in Miami for peace talks, and Zelenskyy described it as a “gift” to Russia’s president.
Zelenskyy said Russia would use the money raised from fuel sales to invest in its war, and that “any easing of sanctions” would play into Russia’s hands, “allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer.”
Ukrainian officials announced hours later that a barrage of Russian strikes on the country’s south-east early on Oct. 10 had killed 15 people, including three children.
“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskyy said on social media on Oct. 10. “Last night confirmed once again that in Russia, they take any easing of pressure to mean they can keep fighting, to mean they can keep dropping bombs on cities. Different signals are needed.”
There were also “large-scale power outages” in Kyiv, the country’s largest private energy provider said.
Zelenskyy’s frustration with Trump stood in contrast to the Kremlin’s account of the Oct. 9 call between the two leaders. Russian news agency Interfax quoted a Kremlin aide describing the conversation as “very substantive and friendly.” Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said: “Neither wanted to be the first to hang up. They hung up simultaneously, literally at the same time.” Zelenskyy has previously said Putin is playing games with Trump.
The diesel deal disrupts four years of western financial pressure on Moscow and leaves Kyiv’s allies in Europe and NATO scrambling to adapt their sanctions plans. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said the deal “provides Moscow with more revenues to wage war.”
“This is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe won’t,” Kallas said on Oct. 10. “On Monday, EU foreign ministers intend to approve the biggest set of sanctions listings targeting Russia’s war machine since the start of the war.” She was referring to plans to formally add 1,600 new individuals and entities to the EU’s sanctions blacklist.
The German government spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, said Berlin “remains committed to the sanctions imposed on Russia and is working with its European partners on further sanctions,” and that support for Ukraine “remains unwavering.” Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish prime minister, expressed “regret” at the U.S. agreement, saying energy revenues were “a vital source of funding Russia’s war of aggression.”
Zelenskyy said on Oct. 10 that Russia “must feel its losses” and promised to respond. In the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, Ukrainian attacks over the previous 24 hours had killed four civilians and wounded five, the region’s Russian-installed governor, Leonid Pasechnik, said on Oct. 10.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to take “de-escalatory steps” in the war, but only if Russia did the same.