Trump has agreed a deal for Russia to supply diesel to ease record US fuel prices, pausing sanctions until April 2027. Relief at the pump, or a lifeline for Putin?
Trump announced the deal after a call with Putin on 9 October: 300,000 tonnes in October, 500,000 in November and 1 million in December. Senators from both parties say it cuts across a 2022 ban on Russian energy imports, and Zelensky says gifts to Putin will not lead to peace.
What happened
On 9 October Donald Trump said he had agreed with Vladimir Putin for Russia to supply diesel to US and global markets: 300,000 tonnes in October, 500,000 in November and 1 million in December, with sanctions on Russian oil products suspended until April 2027. US diesel averaged $6.19 a gallon in early October, up 78% since February, a rise Al Jazeera links mainly to the US-Israel war on Iran. Republican senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and John Curtis joined Democrats in demanding he reverse course. Trump says he made "the right choice for the American People".
Why people disagree
Supporters, including Republican senator John Barrasso, say the president is focused on lowering energy costs and "has to make tough decisions", and call the deal another point of leverage over Putin. Critics say it gives Russia money while it keeps attacking Ukraine, cuts across a 2022 ban on Russian energy imports and a sanctions law Trump signed weeks ago, and was agreed without consulting Congress.
What's still unclear
Whether the deal is lawful without Congress, and whether it will cut pump prices at all: a Columbia University energy expert told AP the total volume is less than a day of US diesel use. How Europe responds at this week's EU summit is also unclear.
Sources
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