President Trump decided to pursue a diesel fuel deal with Russia after Ukrainian President Zelensky repeatedly ignored U.S. requests to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries. These Ukrainian strikes had been effective, causing an energy crisis in Russia and prompting a Russian diesel export ban, which further strained global markets. Zelensky claimed he was blindsided by Trump's deal, calling it unfair and a gift to Putin.Trump's administration believed the refinery attacks were contributing to high gas prices in America and did not equate them to Russia's attacks on Ukrainian power plants. U.S. officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner informed Ukraine that Trump planned to speak with Putin and lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports. Ukraine was told that such actions harming American consumers were unacceptable.Witkoff and Kushner denied threatening to cut off U.S. intelligence if Ukraine continued its attacks. Instead, they emphasized U.S. support and the importance of avoiding actions that hurt American consumers. The diesel deal emerged during otherwise constructive talks on security guarantees for Ukraine and potential territorial solutions to end the war.The U.S. mediators also discussed a postwar package for Ukraine, including reconstruction funding and military rebuilding. They presented energy deals with Russia as a means to lower prices and encourage Russian concessions. While Putin declined to commit to resuming peace talks, citing Ukrainian attacks, U.S. officials believe he remains open to discussions.