Trump Hands Putin a Diesel Lifeline While Ukraine Burns: 5 Million Tons Fuel Moscow as 17 Die in Zaporizhzhia
The US president has agreed to buy millions of tons of Russian diesel while pressuring Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries — a move that has outraged Kyiv, split Europe, and drawn criticism from his own party.
US President Donald Trump announced Friday that Russia has agreed to supply nearly 5 million tons of diesel fuel to the United States and global markets "within a short period of time" [259534]. The deal, struck with Russian President Vladimir Putin, comes as Washington eases sanctions on Russian diesel exports and pressures Ukraine to halt its drone strikes on Russian oil refineries [259122][259519].
Trump also said Ukraine needs a new president and blamed Kyiv for fuel price increases linked to the war with Iran [259519][259686]. The Kremlin confirmed that Putin pitched Trump on ending the Iran war during the same call in which the diesel agreement was discussed [259709].
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hit back hard. He said allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is "an investment in a war that must end, not continue" [259139]. He offered a direct trade: Ukraine will stop hitting Russian oil refineries if Moscow stops attacking Ukraine's power grid [259707]. There has been no public response from Moscow to that proposal [259707].
Ukrainian officials also rejected Trump's call for a new president, saying leadership should be decided by Ukrainians, not foreign politicians [259707]. Despite the pressure, Ukraine shows no sign of slowing its oil attacks [259686].
The human cost continues to mount. Five Russian bombs struck Zaporizhzhia, killing 17 people, one day after the US allowed Russia to ship its first 300,000 tonnes of diesel [259504]. The European Union is preparing its largest sanctions package yet, targeting Russia's defense industry [259504].
The deal has exposed deep splits among US allies. Norway's foreign minister called it "an opposite signal from what we need now," noting that Western countries had stood together to tighten sanctions on Russian oil [259122]. Germany said it will keep pressuring Russia and supporting Ukraine, refusing to soften its stance despite Washington's pause on diesel sanctions [259549]. Australia said it will not buy Russian fuel, keeping its purchases blocked [258761].
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal will urge European leaders next week to help Ukraine destroy Russia's oil refineries, arguing that buying Russian fuel funds the war [259507].
Back home, Trump's decision has drawn criticism from Republicans in key Senate races ahead of the midterms, as high diesel costs continue to trouble candidates [259467]. Analysts say the deal is unlikely to bring cheaper fuel and note that Putin is pushing for sanctions relief without any demand to stop the war [259511].
The US has also warned Ukraine that its strikes inside Russian territory could put American intelligence-sharing at risk [259286].