Trump’s decision to ease Russian diesel sanctions could prolong war in Ukraine — ISW

President Donald Trump arranged a diesel fuel agreement with Russia following Ukraine's refusal to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries, according to a report by Axios on Oct. 10. The deal, which includes hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel fuel for the United States and global markets, is expected to lower prices.

U.S. officials claim the move was prompted by Ukraine's continued strikes on Russian refineries, which they say directly impact American consumers. During eight-hour talks in Miami, Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner informed the Ukrainian side of the deal, warning that the U.S. could cut off Ukraine's access to U.S. intelligence if the strikes continued.

A Ukrainian official asserts that the threat of intelligence loss was made during the negotiations. Despite Russia's ongoing attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the U.S. official maintains that the refinery strikes are not equivalent to these attacks. Zelenskyy denounced the U.S. decision as weak, claiming Ukraine was being used as a "smoke screen."