Agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin: Federal government emphasizes adherence to Russia sanctions

The federal government wants to stick to its course despite US criticism of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Russian-American agreement on diesel deliveries. "Ukraine's support in its defensive struggle remains unbroken," said spokesman for Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). “The federal government is sticking to the sanctions decisions against Russia and is working with its European partners on further sanctions.” The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas made similar comments. Suspending sanctions against Russian diesel deliveries would provide Moscow with additional revenue to finance the war.

A few days ago, US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin reached an agreement on a diesel deal. Trump announced that, among other things, more than 300,000 tons of diesel would be made available “immediately” for the USA and the world market. The US President is under pressure because of high fuel prices before the midterm elections in November. The USA has now temporarily lifted sanctions against Russian diesel. The US Treasury Department issued a temporary permit for the sale, delivery, unloading and import of diesel from Russia until April 7, 2027.

The Federal Ministry of Economics also emphasized that the federal government's stance had not changed: "Germany fully supports the sanctions packages," said a spokeswoman for Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU). Russian oil and crude oil products have been sanctioned by the EU since 2023. Since then, Germany has not purchased any oil or oil products from Russia. "We are independent of Russian oil." Security of supply is guaranteed.

After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj criticized the agreement between Trump and Putin, the US President called for a change of power in Ukraine. The deputy CDU chairwoman Karin Prien expressed sharp criticism of this. “For a few liters of diesel,” wrote the deputy CDU chairwoman on X . “What a moral bankruptcy.”

The Greens were also outraged: "First start a war against Iran without a discernible plan, which drives up energy prices worldwide - and then make a deal with the warmonger Putin, of all people, to cushion the consequences before the midterms - it couldn't be more unscrupulous," said Green Party leader Franziska Brantner to the dpa news agency.

There is also criticism of Trump's decision in his own country. Gregory Meeks, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned Trump's change of course: "Weeks after signing a law that provides for sanctions against buyers of Russian energy, Trump announces that the United States will buy it." It was only in September that Trump signed a law passed by Parliament that gives him broad powers to impose new sanctions against Russia - also to further curb Russian oil and gas exports. Russia is financing the war against Ukraine with its oil.

In any case, the deal is likely to have only symbolic value. Economist Samina Sultan from the Institute of German Economics (IW) in Cologne told the dpa: "The world market price will not change significantly." Data from the US Energy Agency EIA on consumption in the USA show that 300,000 tons mathematically cover consumption there for a good 14 hours.