Trump's diesel deal with Russia risks funding Putin's war on Ukraine

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 17 Oct, 07:32 · Archive

Donald Trump has agreed to ease sanctions on Russian fuel sales in exchange for diesel supply to global markets.

President Donald Trump has agreed with Vladimir Putin to ease US sanctions on Russian fuel in exchange for Russia supplying up to 4.8 million metric tons of diesel to global markets. The deal has drawn criticism from supporters of Ukraine, who argue that revenue from oil sales will finance Russian military operations.

Experts dispute the deal's economic impact. The diesel supply amounts to about ten days of US domestic demand or a single day of global demand, according to CNBC. Sergey Aleksashenko, senior research fellow at the NEST Centre, told CNBC that Russia's main gain is political: 'Trump's decision eases sanctions pressure and undermines Western unity.' Neil Atkinson, former head of the IEA's oil industry and markets division, said the supply 'does not even touch the sides – it is very, very small.'

The New York Post reports that the deal raises concerns about civilian casualties in Ukraine. In September, a Russian drone killed a 14-year-old boy, Daniel Umansky, in Kyiv. The United Nations counted at least 200 civilians killed and over 1,200 injured in that month alone. The Post argues that any sanctions relief risks enabling further Russian military action against Ukrainian civilians.

CNBC reports that the deal has put President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a difficult position as winter approaches, alongside Trump's restrictions on US intelligence sharing with Ukrainian forces. The agreement has raised questions about Washington's reliability as Ukraine's most important military partner.

How it is being reported

• Trump's Russia diesel deal may offer Putin more than money — and spell trouble for UkraineTrump's diesel deal may do little for Russia's finances, but it raises bigger questions about Ukraine's leverage, U.S. support and Putin's next moves.CNBC · 17 Oct, 06:46
• Trump’s diesel deal is folly — and the Ukrainian people will bear the costPutin will use any revenue he receives from oil sales to finance more bombs and drones that his military will deploy against Ukraine's civilians — as he keeps proving night after night.New York Post · 16 Oct, 00:10

In this story: Donald Trump · Vladimir Putin · Volodymyr Zelenskyy · Ukraine · Russia · United States · Kyiv

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem