Trump’s Russian Diesel Deal Benefits Putin More Than US — SkimNews
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- Trump eased restrictions on Russian diesel after an Oct. 9 call with Putin, promising immediate deliveries and fast price drops in a Truth Social post.
- Zelenskyy disputed Trump’s claim that Ukrainian refinery strikes caused U.S. diesel price hikes, citing federal data linking the surge to Middle East tensions after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb. 28.
- International Energy Agency reported Oct. 14 that easing Russia’s diesel export ban is unlikely to materially affect global supply due to Russia’s limited refinery capacity.
- Seven senators, including four Republicans and three Democrats, urged the Trump administration on Oct. 11 to reverse course, calling the deal a 'financial lifeline' for Putin amid ongoing attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
- Twelve bipartisan senators, including Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn, wrote Trump on Oct. 13 stating the deal would have a 'negligible impact on fuel prices' and amounts to a 'gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies'.
- Ukraine paused refinery strikes at Trump’s request, but resumed them after Russia continued targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, according to Zelenskyy’s Oct. 15 remarks to the Financial Times.
- Goldman Sachs estimated the first two months of Russian diesel deliveries would reduce U.S. Gulf Coast wholesale prices by just $1 to $2 per barrel, or 2 to 5 cents per gallon.
Why it matters: The diesel deal funnels billions into Russia’s war economy with minimal U.S. consumer benefit—Bloomberg reports Russia’s seaborne crude shipments hit a wartime high of $2.76 billion weekly—while weakening Ukraine’s leverage and drawing bipartisan congressional backlash over strategic alignment with an adversary.
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