Europe rebukes Trump's plan to buy Russian diesel
U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to import 300,000 tons of Russian diesel, drawing criticism from European foreign ministers. Europe says pressure on Moscow and support for Ukraine must continue.
European governments have rebuked U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to import hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel. Foreign ministers meeting in the European Union on Monday vowed to keep isolating Moscow and backing Ukraine as it faces another wartime winter.
Over the weekend, Trump said the United States would buy 300,000 tons of Russian diesel. The announcement comes weeks before U.S. midterm elections, in which Republicans are polling badly and energy prices and living costs are expected to matter. Trump also claimed Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an "energy ceasefire" and called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to step down.
European reaction
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said the deal helps neither oil product prices nor transatlantic unity, and "is not the European way." Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee called the announcement "concerning." Germany's Minister of State for Europe, Gunther Krichbaum, said every dollar spent on Russian energy helps pay for weapons used against Kyiv. The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, reminded Washington that Russia started the war.
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said the position is unchanged: pressure on Russia, sanctions, support for Ukraine and Russia's isolation are the path to peace. Stephen Doughty, minister of state at the British Foreign Office, said London does not plan to follow suit in buying Russian energy and will increase economic pressure on Moscow.
Zelenskyy: no tangible impact
At the Warsaw Security Forum, Zelenskyy said the proposed Russian diesel deliveries are insignificant against global monthly consumption of roughly 120 million tons, so he expects no tangible impact. He suggested there are other rationales behind the decision and asked why the U.S. does not conclude a diesel deal with Ukraine instead. Kyiv was not told of Trump's announcement beforehand and learned of it from the media.
Hours after the announcement, Russian bombs hit Ukrainian power plants, causing widespread blackouts. Ukraine is bracing for its fifth winter since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Its financing needs are due to be discussed at a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday; the IMF estimates a financing gap of $30–35 billion next year.
