Zelenskyy furious as Trump announces deal to buy Russian diesel
US president says agreement needed to lower American fuel prices, but move likely to create fresh crisis with Ukraine and Nato allies Donald Trump was on a fresh collision course with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European allies after a stunning agreement to buy Russian diesel, upending years of US and western pressure on the Kremlin to end its four-and-a-half year war…
US President Donald Trump has announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply the US with Russian diesel. According to Trump, Russia will immediately deliver over 300,000 tons of diesel to the US and global market, with an additional 500,000 tons to be delivered in November, and 4 million more tons at a later date. The deal has sparked criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called it "absolutely terrible" and "not fair and not honest".
The agreement marks a reversal of US policy, which had banned imports of Russian oil since the start of Russia's war with Ukraine. The move comes as the US faces high fuel prices, with the national average for a gallon of diesel hitting a record high of $6.53 on September 22, according to AAA. The deal has also raised concerns among European allies and Nato.
The price of diesel has been rising globally, driven in part by the conflict between the US and Iran, which has led to increased oil prices. Trump's announcement has been met with skepticism by energy policy experts, who question whether the deal will have a significant impact on fuel prices. The Kremlin has confirmed the deal, but details have not been independently verified.
Brief written by urgent.news from Guardian Business, The Economic Times, Handelsblatt, E24 Norway — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
