Ukrainians are increasingly feeling frustrated with the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, who is attempting to restore economic relations with Russia amid its full-scale war against Ukraine. Washington’s decision to purchase Russian diesel fuel and ease sanctions against Moscow caused particular outrage. This is reported by The New York Times, according to UNN.
Details
As the publication notes, during Joe Biden’s presidency, the United States described Ukraine’s struggle as the forefront of a global confrontation for freedom and democracy. By contrast, the current White House administration is increasingly viewing the war through the prism of economic agreements with the Kremlin. Ukrainians were particularly distressed by Trump’s decision to purchase Russian diesel fuel and temporarily ease the relevant sanctions. Experts believe that such steps could provide the Russian economy with additional revenues that Moscow could use to continue the war.
The NYT emphasizes that this is happening against the backdrop of a sharp reduction in U.S. aid to Ukraine and intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure. At the same time, Trump continues to demand that Kyiv halt attacks on Russian oil refineries, even though these strikes are one of Ukraine’s important instruments of economic pressure on the aggressor.
Pavlo Kazarin, a serviceman of the Unmanned Systems Forces and a journalist, said in a comment to the NYT that Washington’s current policy is destroying the reputation of the United States, which previous American administrations built over decades by supporting democracy and their allies. According to him, the U.S. administration does not realize that the goal of Russian aggression is to destroy Ukraine as an independent state.
Human rights defender, head of the NGO "Center for Civil Liberties," and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk also criticized the Trump administration’s approach to peace negotiations. She stressed that Washington’s focus on territorial issues and economic agreements with Russia, without due attention to the deaths of civilians, sends a dangerous signal to the Kremlin.
According to the UN, in 2025 the number of civilians killed and injured in Ukraine increased by 31%. In the first half of 2026, this figure rose by another 37% compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.
The publication emphasizes that the growing distance between the U.S. president’s position and the reality Ukrainians face every day is causing a profound sense of betrayal.
We remind you
Somewhat earlier, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that he would try to restore the damaged relationship between Ukraine and the United States.