Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky has condemned Donald Trump’s announcement of a deal to import Russian diesel into the US.
Zelensky called it a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin that amounts to “an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged”.
Trump said Putin had agreed to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately “to the American and global marketplace” followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and another million after that.
It is understood the US Treasury is suspending sanctions on Russian diesel exports until 7 April as part of the deal, but other assets like those in American banks are still frozen.
In his Truth Social post, Trump added that a further three million tonnes of Russian diesel would be delivered “within a short period”, dependent on the condition of its refineries, which have been attacked by Ukraine.
Putin later said Russia, which introduced a ban on diesel exports earlier this year, was willing to supply both the US and global markets with oil and petroleum products,but his statement did not specify amounts.
In a post on social media, Zelensky said Russia would repay the diesel with “further terror”.
“We count on America’s fair support for our defence of life, for our defence of people in Ukraine – and on the United States having a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one,” he wrote.
With the looming US midterm congressional elections – which will determine if Republicans maintain control of Congress – Trump has been searching for ways to ease his Republican party’s political pain.
Earlier this week, he said he was “thinking about” suspending the federal tax on gasoline and also announced that he would allow so-called red dye diesel to be used on US highways without facing federal tax.
Trump has also successfully pressured G7 nations into releasing 100 million barrels of oil and diesel from stockpiles to help ease supply concerns, and previously supported calls for a ban on diesel exports from the US.