Trump's Russian oil hypocrisy exposed on India — SkimNews
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- Trump struck a deal with Putin to import Russian diesel to the US — 300,000 tonnes immediately, 500,000 in November, and 1 million after — announcing on Truth Social that prices would fall 'in record numbers' for farmers and truckers
- The move comes weeks after Trump signed the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, granting himself authority to impose tariffs up to 100% on countries like India and China that purchase Russian energy
- Trump imposed 50% tariffs on India last year for buying Russian oil, with aide Peter Navarro calling India a 'laundromat for the Kremlin' and its crude imports 'blood money'
- Zelensky called the deal Trump's 'gift' to Putin, framing it as an 'investment' in a war that would only be prolonged
- Diesel prices have surged 70% since the US-Iran war began, driven by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Middle East turmoil — the pressure Trump now hopes to ease through the Russia deal
- The US is likely to suspend sanctions on Russian diesel exports until April 2027, per the BBC, even as the Graham sanctions law remains on the books against other buyers
- India, which imports 90% of its energy needs, refused to engage in the war of words, saying its Russian oil purchases were guided by national interest — the same rationale Trump now applies to US diesel imports
Why it matters: The US is suspending sanctions on Russian diesel until April 2027 while keeping the legal authority to sanction India for the same activity — a contradiction that geopolitical expert Evan Feigenbaum says will 'further tank US-India relations' just as the 25% punitive tariffs on Delhi were removed in this year's trade framework.
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