Trump lifts diesel sanctions, prompting Murdoch paper to denounce his Putin overtures

In a Friday announcement, Donald Trump declared a suspension of U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel, a step that could generate roughly $4.5 billion for Moscow’s energy firms. He framed the policy as a measure to lower domestic fuel costs before the November 3 midterm elections and touted it as part of an alleged energy cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. The editorial board responded sharply, noting that Vladimir Putin has continued attacks on Ukrainian power infrastructure and offered no tangible benefits to the United States.

The piece condemned Trump’s attribution of rising diesel prices to Ukrainian actions and his call for Kyiv to replace its president. It warned that easing sanctions may inadvertently bolster Russia’s war financing. Kremlin foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov described Trump’s call with Putin as unusually cordial, underscoring the diplomatic sensitivity of the deal.