Trump-Putin diesel deal favours Russia, offers little relief for US consumers

Rácz András, deputy director at the Hungarian Institute of International Studies, told MTI that the newly announced diesel agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin primarily benefits the Russian president. He noted that the volume of diesel potentially delivered to the United States would cover less than a day's consumption, making any price impact negligible. The timing, he said, suggests the Trump administration is seeking a quick political win before the November midterm elections, where Republicans risk losing control of both chambers.

While the deal lifts certain sanctions on Russian diesel, the resulting revenue for Moscow would amount to only a few billion dollars, far below the daily costs of its war effort. Rácz added that stricter enforcement of existing sanctions and upcoming EU phase-out of Russian gas from 2027 could pose greater challenges for Russia.