US President Donald Trump on Monday defended his decision to allow Russian diesel supplies to the United States, saying his administration had acted in the interests of the American people. He also accused the media of ignoring the European Union’s energy payments to Moscow, as Ukraine criticised the deal and the EU announced fresh sanctions against Russia.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that the European Union had paid Russia $250 billion for energy and accused the media of avoiding the issue.“The European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn’t want to get near that story,” Trump wrote.Defending his energy policy, he added, “I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!”The remarks come amid criticism of the proposed Russian diesel supplies, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has argued could help Moscow finance its war against Ukraine.
Zelenskyy criticises deal as EU announces fresh sanctions
Zelenskyy welcomed the European Union’s latest sanctions against Russia, describing them as the “right and necessary signal” towards ending the conflict. He thanked European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU member states for adopting the measures.The European Council said the new package targets 1,569 individuals and entities linked to Russia’s military-industrial network. These include 826 Russian companies and 743 individuals serving as their chief executive officers.The latest measures bring the total number of individuals and entities listed under the EU sanctions regime supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity to nearly 4,600.The sanctions focus on mid-level suppliers that play a key role in Russia’s military-industrial network. These companies collectively generate an annual turnover of at least 20 billion euros and employ more than 250,000 people, according to the European Council.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said sustained economic pressure on Moscow was necessary to end the war. The latest sanctions also target individuals linked to elections held in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.Zelenskyy linked the sanctions to renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He said the strikes came a day after Trump announced an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, claiming both sides had agreed to it.“It is becoming increasingly clear that Russia does not want to agree to the energy ceasefire proposed by the United States and intends to continue its terrorist air attacks against our people and communities. Just today, the Russians attacked six energy facilities in Ukraine. Across the country, 33 people were injured. This is what happens when Russia sees the prospect of increasing revenues for its war machine,” Zelenskyy said.The Ukrainian president has argued that the proposed diesel deal could increase Moscow’s revenues and strengthen its ability to continue the war, which has lasted more than four years.
Trump announces large Russian diesel supplies
Trump announced the proposed diesel deal on Friday in a post on Truth Social. He said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel fuel to the United States, followed by another 500,000 tonnes during November.He added that a further one million tonnes would be supplied immediately afterwards, with another three million tonnes expected within a short period, depending on the condition of Russia’s diesel refineries.Trump described the arrangement as a “big deal” and thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for agreeing to supply what he called “massive amounts” of diesel.“I think you heard about the oil deal with Russia. That is a big deal. That is massive amounts of oil coming into our country. I want to thank President Putin. We have massive amounts of oil coming into our country, and it is diesel, which is what we want,” Trump told reporters outside the White House before leaving for Syracuse, New York, for the midterm election campaign.
Putin says Russian supplies could benefit global economy
Putin has also defended the proposed energy supplies, saying they could benefit the global economy.According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian president made the remarks following a telephone conversation with Trump on Friday. The two leaders discussed Ukraine and Iran, as well as the global energy situation.“In discussing the global energy situation, Russia reaffirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and global markets. I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the entire global economy,” Putin said.The proposed deal has highlighted the contrasting approaches of Washington and Brussels towards Russian energy supplies. While Trump has defended the arrangement on the grounds of American interests, the EU has continued to tighten economic pressure on Moscow over its war against Ukraine.
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