US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin
TOI Correspondent from Washington: In a head-spinning, jaw-dropping pivot that could come as a relief to New Delhi as much as a shock to Kyiv, America’s mercurial President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States would buy diesel from Moscow after months of hectoring India to curb purchases of Russian energy to deprive Vladimir Putin of money for the war against Ukraine. In an astonishing turnaround, Trump declared on Truth Social that he had concluded a “highly successful discussion” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he said had agreed to supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, another 500,000 tons in November, 1 million tons thereafter and a further 3 million tons within a short period. “Between our TOTAL CONTROL of the Strait of Hormuz, and this great announcement on Russian Energy, Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST!” Trump proclaimed. “Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority.” The announcement comes as soaring fuel costs threaten Republican prospects in November’s midterm elections. Diesel prices reached a record $6.52 a gallon (about Rs 150 per liter) in September and remained around $6.28 on Friday, squeezing farmers, truckers and businesses whose costs ultimately feed into consumer prices. Trump’s aides swiftly moved to implement the announcement with the Treasury department issuing a temporary general license permitting Russian diesel shipments to the global market, with sanctions relief extending until April 2027 for qualifying cargoes loaded onto tankers by Friday. The administration was effectively easing restrictions on Russian energy just weeks after Trump signed the Graham Act, legislation intended to squeeze Moscow’s war economy. The political calculation is difficult to miss. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published Friday found that 78% of Americans blamed Trump’s policies, at least partly, for rising living costs. Fifty-seven percent of Republicans said prices were rising faster than their paychecks, while 68% of respondents disapproved of his handling of inflation. Other recent polling has pointed to a difficult electoral environment for Republicans, with Democrats increasingly optimistic about retaking Congress. The diesel announcement offers Trump a chance to show that he is doing something tangible about affordability before voters head to the polls on November 3. But it also exposes the contradictions in his approach to Russia: pressure countries which have little or no leverage that buy Russian energy, then turn to Putin when American consumers face a price squeeze. The reversal has infuriated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who accused Washington of rewarding the aggressor while undermining Ukraine’s efforts to cripple Russia’s ability to finance its invasion. In an interview with Axios, he called the decision “not fair and not honest” and said it looked like “a happy birthday present for Putin,” who turned 74 earlier this week. Zelensky was particularly aggrieved that Trump announced the deal while his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were meeting Ukrainian and European officials in Miami to discuss proposals for ending the war. “It looks like that they used this opportunity to meet us from one side, and from the other side called Putin and negotiate this,” Zelensky told Axios. He said he would have supported easing energy sanctions if it formed part of a reciprocal agreement halting attacks on energy infrastructure in both countries during winter. “Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world,” Zelensky said, warning that Russia would repay the concession with “further terror and perfidy.” Asked by reporters about Zelensky’s criticism, Trump responded, “Who said that?” When the questioner identified the Ukrainian president, Trump replied, “Okay,” and walked away. While MAGA simps went into contortions to rationalize the turnaround, backlash also came from some Republicans. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican who has supported tougher measures against Moscow, condemned the deal, saying, “We need lower diesel prices for American farmers, ranchers and consumers, but buying Russian fuel is the wrong answer.” Pointing out that Congress overwhelmingly passed the Graham Act and Trump signed it into law, Bacon said. “Now is the time to use those sanctions to squeeze Putin’s war machine, not reward a dictator by putting more money in his hands while he continues targeting and killing Ukrainian civilians.” Ron Filipkowski of MeidasTouch, a fiercely anti-Trump outlet, offered a more incendiary assessment, saying the U.S is now officially allied with Russia. “We will fund Russia’s genocidal war machine in exchange for Putin helping Trump and the Republican Party in the midterms. One of the most shameful and disgusting days in the history of this Republic,” he said. For India, the episode offers a striking illustration of Washington’s double standards. New Delhi has faced American pressure and tariff threats over its Russian energy purchases. Trump’s decision to facilitate Russian diesel supplies to American and global markets makes that pressure look less like a consistent principle than a policy applied according to Washington’s immediate interests. Trump may yet secure some relief for American consumers. But with Ukraine questioning Washington’s honesty, Republican allies warning against rewarding Putin and the midterms approaching, the price of the deal may extend well beyond the diesel pump.
