US Republicans Join Democrats in Warning Trump’s Russia Diesel Deal Will Hurt, Not Help

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Russia had agreed to release a significant amount of diesel fuel into the global marketplace as he eased sanctions on Moscow in advance of the upcoming midterm elections. The deal comes as Russia faces multiple sanctions from the United States and its allies due to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the move as "unworthy" and "weak." The United States has imposed sanctions on Russia since the start of the invasion, and the situation has been exacerbated by the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, which have blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial energy transit route. Trump claimed that Russia will deliver over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel immediately, followed by 500,000 tons in November and one million tons thereafter.

The Ukrainian leader criticized the deal, stating it was "certainly not honest" and "a weak decision." The U.S. Treasury granted a temporary license for Russian diesel fuel to flow into global markets until April 2027. The average price of regular gasoline in the United States has risen by more than 46 percent since late February, reaching $4.37 per gallon, while diesel prices have surged 67 percent to $6.28 per gallon.

Trump attributed the price surge to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, despite the primary disruptor being the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators held talks in Miami on Friday to discuss potential ways to de-escalate the conflict and reach a resolution before winter. The talks aimed to address security guarantees, support Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, and prevent future conflicts.