Trump announces deal for Russian diesel as Zelensky calls it a gift to Putin

Trump announces deal for Russian diesel as Zelensky calls it a gift to Putin

President Donald Trump has announced a deal to import Russian diesel into the US, as he faces mounting pressure to bring down fuel prices.

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.

The move on Friday sparked anger from Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky, who called it a gift to Putin that amounts to “an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged”.

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 seen attacks 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.

Analysts, however, have questioned whether Russia is capable of providing that quantity of diesel and the extent to which doing so will ease prices for American consumers.