Trump says that he has agreed with Putin the acquisition of 300,000 tons of Russian diesel
The decision arrives amid the rise in the price of diesel in the USA, which has reached historic records
WashingtonUS President Donald Trump has spoken by phone with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and both have agreed that Moscow will "immediately" deliver 300,000 tons of diesel to the United States. The announcement comes at a time when diesel prices have reached record highs of up to $6.52 on average in the US. The agreement comes after the White House considered the possibility of banning the export of US diesel for 90 days to cushion the rise in prices.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also said that Russia will deliver 500,000 tons to Washington during the month of November and 1,000,000 tons "immediately after." The president described the call with Putin as "highly successful" and asserted that, thanks to this, "diesel prices will drop rapidly, and in historic numbers, for Americans and for the world." "Low prices, especially for our farmers, ranchers, and truck drivers, who are my great priority," Trump wrote, in a clear nod to his rural bases, which are among those most harmed by the trade war and the conflict with Iran.
The agreement is Trump's latest attempt to make peace with his electorate with four weeks left until the legislative elections, which the tycoon has turned into a referendum on his person. The rising cost of living, accelerated by the military campaign in the Middle East, has eroded his popularity, causing it to collapse to around 30%. The unrest among Trump's rural bases had only grown after finding themselves squeezed by the tariffs and the tycoon's decision to import meat from Argentina to try to lower prices for consumers. The rise in diesel due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has exacerbated this unrest in the American countryside.
The decision to import Russian diesel also represents a significant setback in the US campaign of economic sanctions to pressure Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine. In September, Congress approved one of the broadest packages of sanctions against Moscow, covering everything from the energy sector to financial institutions.
A Ukrainian delegation visits the US
A Ukrainian delegation traveled this Friday to the United States to participate for two days in a new round of negotiations aimed at ending the war with Russia. The talks will focus on a unified proposal that addresses all aspects of the conflict, according to sources from the Trump administration to various US media outlets.
The delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, and Kirilo Budanov, head of the president's office, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On the American side, the negotiations will be led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the Republican president.
The attempt to revive the negotiations comes at a time of intensifying air attacks on both sides of the border. Despite the numerous meetings promoted since Trump returned to the White House, the conflict remains stalled, especially over the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.
Putin wants to control the entire region, parts of which remain in the hands of Ukrainian forces. Zelenskyy, on the other hand, has ruled out ceding these territories because he believes Russia could use them as a base to launch new attacks against the country. Currently, Moscow occupies approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that diplomatic blocks are “very dangerous,” because they can end in a negotiated agreement or an escalation of the conflict. In the case of Ukraine, he noted, this escalation could include sabotage campaigns in neighboring NATO member countries.
Although Rubio considers that the war has no military solution and must end through an agreement, he admitted in statements to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini that currently there do not seem to be any prospects. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has agreed.