Trump Strikes Russia Diesel Deal Ahead of Midterms — SkimNews
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- Trump struck a deal with Putin for Russia to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel to US and world markets, just three weeks after signing legislation authorizing new sanctions on nations importing Russian oil and gas.
- The reversal comes as Trump faces political fallout from the Iran war's impact on energy prices, with agricultural diesel-dependent states like Iowa, Kansas, Texas and Ohio becoming unexpected midterm battlegrounds.
- Russia's promised 300,000 tons this month equals roughly half of US daily diesel consumption (3.6 million barrels), meaning Americans may see little immediate price relief.
- Zelensky called the deal a "gift" to Putin that Russia would "repay" with "terror and perfidy," writing that selling Russian petroleum products "is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged."
- Russia's diesel refinery capacity has been damaged by repeated Ukrainian strikes — attacks Trump has encouraged Zelensky to curtail.
- Before turning to Russia, Trump pressured European allies to tap oil reserves, deferred federal fuel taxes, and authorized farm-designated fuel for interstate trucking — none of which significantly moved prices.
Why it matters: Voters seeking pump-price relief likely won't get much — Russia's promised 300,000 tons covers roughly half of US daily diesel demand, and early voting has already started. By reversing his own three-week-old Russia sanctions legislation, Trump opens his administration to Zelensky's argument that Washington is now funding the very war those sanctions were meant to pressure.
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