Kremlin relishes in U.S.-Russia diesel deal and Trump's criticism of Zelenskyy

A deal between Moscow and Washington regarding the export of Russian diesel, combined with recent U.S. criticism of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, represents significant political victories for the Kremlin, according to Japan Today.

President Donald Trump defended his decision to allow Russian diesel imports on Monday, calling it the "right choice" and asserting that he acts "America First." In a social media post, Trump claimed the European Union paid Russia $250 billion for energy, though he did not specify the time period for this amount. ABC News (US) reports that estimates from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air regarding EU spending on Russian fossil fuels since the start of the war with Ukraine roughly align with Trump's figure.

A bipartisan group of senators expressed opposition to the administration's plan to lift sanctions and import a new supply of Russian oil. In a statement released Sunday, these senators urged the administration to reverse the decision, arguing that the United States should not provide a financial lifeline to Vladimir Putin while the war in Ukraine continues.

Brief written by urgent.news from Japan Today, ABC News (US) — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.