Trying to Make Sense of Trump’s Ukraine Policy
In announcing his “diesel deal” with Putin on Friday, Trump has shown again that he is an enemy of Ukraine and prefers to do business with Russia. Zelensky is right to stand up to him and should be supported.
Most people were surprised when President Donald Trump announced his intention to allow Russia to sell diesel in the United States prior to the 2022 mid-term elections. This move was intended to decrease the price of diesel for American consumers. Trump's approach to Russia's policies had consistently been to blame Ukraine and its President, Volodymyr Zelensky, for the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The United States had, on three separate occasions, voted alongside Russia and other nations to support President Vladimir Putin in the United Nations. In a surprising turn, Trump had halted financial aid and weaponry to Ukraine, demanding repayment for the aid already provided. This prompted the passage of the "Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act," which compelled Trump to sign in September.
Although it seemed that Trump could impose severe sanctions, the law permitted him to waive certain sanctions at his discretion. Trump's decision to permit Russia to export diesel to the US and the world aimed to lower US diesel prices, though the volumes were minimal compared to US and global demand. Trump claimed this would alleviate the burden on US consumers; however, he never protested Russia's relentless bombing of Ukraine, its infrastructure, and civilian enterprises.
His praises for ruthless dictators such as Putin, China's Xi Jingping, North Korea's Kim Jong Un, and Egypt's Abdel Al-Sissi further highlight his pro-Putin stance. Trump engineered a meeting with Putin in the Kremlin, wherein they discussed sanctions relief for the Trump-controlled US Treasury. Witkoff and Kushner, Trump's envoys, met with a Ukrainian team in Miami, threatening to cease US intelligence sharing with Ukraine if they continued to target Russian oil refineries.
Despite their questionable allegiance, Trump's administration prioritized financial gain over national interests, seeking to sell out the United States in favor of Putin. Zelensky must oppose these traitorous individuals to protect democracy; Europe, Canada, and other friends must stand with Ukraine to counteract this threat.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
