Trump's Russian diesel purchase and pressure on Ukraine could aid Moscow's war economy

President Donald Trump is advancing a plan to buy Russian diesel fuel, a transaction that could channel roughly $4 billion of American money into Russia and bolster Moscow’s economic campaign against Ukraine. In parallel, he is urging Kyiv to halt its strikes on Russian oil refineries, a tactic that has been depriving the Russian war machine of revenue. The United States lifted sanctions to permit the sale, framing it as a measure to lower diesel prices ahead of the midterm elections.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the move on social media, saying Russia will "repay" the diesel with further terror. Meanwhile, Russia continues its broader assault on Ukrainian ports, power plants, and industrial sites, threatening a humanitarian crisis and crippling key sectors such as steel and agriculture, while Ukraine’s grain exports have collapsed.