Trump says US still sharing intel with Ukraine, defends Russian diesel deal

By Jacob Bogage and Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States continues to share intelligence with Ukraine and is working with both Kyiv and Moscow to bring an end to the war.

“We are helping them, and we are sharing intel,” Trump told reporters. “We want the war to end, so we’re working with them and Russia on getting the war to end.”

Trump said both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy want the war to end, but “there is a lot of hatred between the two of them” and they “don’t know how to get there.”

Trump was also asked about a deal involving Russian diesel that has drawn criticism from US lawmakers in both parties, who say it appears to violate US restrictions on Russian energy imports imposed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Asked whether Russia could use proceeds from the diesel deal to purchase more bombs, Trump sidestepped the question. “That’s a diesel deal, not for us. That’s being released into the world. That’s not being released to us.”

(Reporting by Jacob Bogage and Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Michelle Nichols )