Trump says that he has agreed with Putin on the acquisition of 300,000 tons of Russian diesel
The decision arrives amidst the rising cost 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 they 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 historic highs of up to $6.52 on average in the US. The agreement comes after the White House considered the possibility of banning US diesel exports for 90 days to cushion the price rise.
In the post on Truth Social, Trump also said that next November Russia will deliver 500,000 tons to Washington 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 for Americans, and indeed, the world, will have a historic drop." "Low prices, especially for our farmers, ranchers, and truck drivers, who are my top priority," wrote Trump, in a clear nod to his rural base, which is one of the groups most harmed by his trade war and the conflict with Iran.
The agreement is Trump's latest attempt to make peace with his electorate four weeks before the legislative elections, which the tycoon has turned into a referendum on himself. The rising cost of living, accelerated by the military campaign in the Middle East, has eroded his popularity to around 30%. The unrest among Trump's rural base had only grown after finding themselves stifled by the squeeze of tariffs and the tycoon's decision to import meat from Argentina to try to lower prices for the consumer. 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 economic sanctions campaign to pressure Russia within the framework of the war in Ukraine. In September, Congress approved one of the largest and broadest packages of sanctions against Moscow, which spanned 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 Kyrylo 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 negotiations comes at a time of intensifying air strikes on both sides of the border. Despite the numerous meetings held since Trump returned to the White House, the conflict remains deadlocked, 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 pointed out, this escalation could include sabotage campaigns in neighboring NATO member countries.
Although Rubio believes that the war has no military solution and must end through an agreement, he admitted in statements to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini that there currently do not seem to be any prospects. Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, agreed.
