(KYIV) – Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has agreed to supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel fuel to the United States and global markets, following a telephone call with US President Donald Trump described by the Kremlin as “highly successful”.
The US Treasury Department has issued a partial lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel through April of next year, allowing the sale, delivery and import of diesel of Russian origin.
Trump said on social media that Putin agreed to immediately supply over 300,000 tonnes of diesel, another 500,000 tonnes in November and a further 1 million tonnes thereafter. A further 3 million tonnes would be delivered “within a short period of time,” depending on the condition of Russian refineries.
“Diesel prices for Americans and, indeed, the world, will be coming down, in record numbers, and fast,” Trump wrote. He later told reporters at the White House: “I want to thank President Putin. This is diesel, which is what we need. So we’re very happy to get it”.
Trump also suggested Ukraine should replace its president, saying Volodymyr Zelensky had failed to end the war and had caused diesel price increases through strikes on Russian refineries.
“I suggest they get a new leader who could make a deal, because Zelensky could have made many deals but for some reason never did,” Trump said. “That war should never have started. I think it’s time for Ukraine to choose a new president”.
Zelensky responded on Sunday, stating that Ukraine’s leadership is a matter for its people alone. “With all due respect to President Trump, the choice of who leads Ukraine should be decided by our society and our people,” he told ABC News.
Elon Musk, the American billionaire, endorsed Trump’s position on social media. “Zelensky has gone too far,” Musk wrote. In a separate comment, he added: “I agree, it’s time for Ukraine to find a new leader”.
Russian state television host Vladimir Solovyov, a prominent Kremlin propagandist sanctioned by the EU and UK, celebrated the deal on his Channel 1 programme Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov. He described the Trump-Putin call as an example of “big diplomacy” conducted without noise, claiming it had caused an uproar across Europe and left Zelensky “torn to pieces”.
“Trump directly thanked the Supreme Commander-in-Chief,” Solovyov said, grinning as he played footage of Trump’s remarks. “If this deal comes to fruition, quite a bit of money will flow into our state coffers”.
Solovyov added: “I always liked Trump. I always understood that with Trump, you have to calculate things carefully”.
The panel also discussed how the deal might affect the battlefield and Western support for Ukraine. One pundit noted that if the agreement holds, economic sanctions on Russia could be eased until April, allowing Moscow to obtain goods needed for its war effort.
“I hope that soon everything will be done to replace Zelensky,” the presenter said.
Ukrainian and European officials have condemned the arrangement, arguing it provides Moscow with revenue to sustain its war machine.
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