Trump's Russian Diesel Deal Suspends Sanctions Until April — SkimNews
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- Trump announced a deal to import Russian diesel — 300,000 tonnes immediately, 500,000 in November, 1 million after that, and potentially 3 million more contingent on refinery conditions — as the US Treasury formally suspended sanctions on Russian diesel exports until 7 April.
- Zelensky condemned the agreement as a 'gift to Putin' amounting to 'an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged,' then pointed to overnight Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv as Moscow saying 'its thanks' for the deal.
- EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said suspending sanctions 'provides Moscow with more revenues to wage war' and that 'Europe won't' ease pressure, as European foreign ministers prepared their biggest sanctions package on Russia since the full-scale invasion began; the UK also pledged to maintain its toughest-ever sanctions regime.
- Tim Armitage, an investment strategist at Quilter Cheviot, called Trump's announced volumes 'relatively small,' noting the first tranche equates to roughly 2.25 million barrels against daily US consumption of 3.8 million barrels — 'a slightly desperate move by President Trump to try to lower inflation ahead of the midterms.'
- US diesel averages $6.28 per gallon (down from a September record of $6.53), while the Brent crude benchmark sits above $103 per barrel versus roughly $73 before the Iran war — the fuel costs Trump is scrambling to ease before November's vote.
- Russia's own diesel production has fallen nearly 30% due to Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries, raising doubts about whether Moscow can actually deliver the volumes Trump is counting on.
- The deal reverses US legislation just signed by Trump that authorized new American sanctions and tariffs on nations that import Russian oil and gas, opening him to bipartisan criticism at home and backlash in Europe.
Why it matters: The deal routes revenue to a country the US just sanctioned and undercuts the sanctions law Trump himself signed weeks ago — Zelensky drove the contradiction home as Russian glide bombs killed at least 15 in Zaporizhzhia the same night, and analysts say the volumes won't materially lower US pump prices before midterms.
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