Trump’s Russia energy deals fail to ease pressure before crucial elections
Donald Trump announced a deal with Vladimir Putin to supply Russian diesel to the United States and later touted an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Diesel prices remain above $6 a gallon, while Russia continued attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.
Image: bbc.co.uk · Author: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews · source articleEditorial excerpt for news reporting
US President Donald Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide the United States with hundreds of millions of tons of Russian diesel in the coming months. Trump said the arrangement would bring lower prices for Americans and ordered the suspension of restrictions that had blocked Russian diesel from global markets.
Two days later, Trump announced an energy ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had not been informed in advance, although he said Ukraine would abide by it. Russia did not publicly confirm the agreement, and launched a new wave of attacks on Ukrainian power plants on Sunday.
Diesel prices remain above $6 a gallon, despite the announced truce. Prices are below their records but have not fallen enough to remove pressure on Trump weeks before elections that will determine control of Congress.
Criticism of the Russia deal
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney voiced strong support for the energy ceasefire but said the diesel agreement undermined peace and stability in Europe and helped finance Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The decision also drew criticism from four Republican senators, who joined Democrats in urging Trump to reverse course. They said Congress banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American money from financing Russia’s war.
Risk of further escalation
Trump has recently blamed Ukraine for strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and said it was time for Ukraine to get a new president. The Financial Times and CNN reported that the United States had threatened to cut arms sales and intelligence sharing if Zelensky did not halt attacks on Russian refineries.
After the ceasefire announcement, Zelensky said Russia had struck at least six Ukrainian energy sites. He said Ukraine would respond this winter if Moscow did not agree to stop attacks on energy infrastructure.
Energy markets are also facing pressure from Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Strikes on airports and energy infrastructure over the weekend killed at least 13 people and could drive further regional escalation.
What we know
- Trump announced plans for the United States to receive hundreds of millions of tons of Russian diesel.
- Russia did not confirm the energy ceasefire and attacked Ukrainian power plants after its announcement.
- US diesel prices remain above $6 a gallon.
- Four Republican senators urged Trump to reverse the Russian fuel import decision.
- Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia killed at least 13 people.
Trust: Single source
- The story relies on one publisher. A second independent confirmation has not been established from the cited sources.
- Sources: BBC World.
COMMUNITY
Discussion
Sign in to join the discussion.
Loading comments…