Donald Trump is helping Vladimir Putin wage war against Ukraine in an attempt to lower fuel prices before the US midterm elections. This is the assessment of The New York Times, quoted by UNIAN, in an editorial about the US president's latest decisions.
On October 9, Trump announced an agreement for Russia to supply diesel fuel to the US and world markets. According to the Associated Press, the first delivery should be over 300,000 tons, followed by 500,000 tons in November and another about 4 million tons in the coming months. The US Treasury Department has temporarily allowed transactions with Russian diesel until April 7, 2027.
The decision represents a sharp turn from Washington's previous policy, which banned imports of Russian oil after the start of a full-scale war against Ukraine. Experts quoted by the Associated Press have indicated that additional supplies from Russia are unlikely to significantly reduce prices in the US, since the increase in prices is mainly related to broader turmoil in the global energy market.
Sanctions against Russia also postponed
On October 17, Trump signed an executive order postponing the entry into force of a new package of sanctions against the Russian economy. The measures were adopted by Congress and are related to a law named after Senator Lindsey Graham. According to the Associated Press, the law provides for pressure on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas.
The New York Times describes the president's actions as concessions to Putin, for which there is no convincing economic explanation. The publication writes that Trump hopes that lower fuel prices will help Republicans before the congressional elections.
“Trump is fighting only for himself“, writes The New York Times.The Starshield dispute
Additional tension between Washington and Kiev was caused by restrictions on Starshield - the military version of the Starlink satellite system, used by Ukrainian forces for communications and drone operations.
Elon Musk said that the system is controlled by the US government and the armed forces, and the final decision lies with the president. Trump denied ordering the service to be cut. The Associated Press reported that the restrictions affected Ukrainian drones, but access to the system was later restored in some parts.
According to The New York Times, the pressure on Ukraine is particularly frustrating, as Ukrainian forces have regained about 400 square miles of territory since the beginning of the year and have launched strikes deep into Russia.
The paper called on the White House to lift the Starshield restrictions and implement sanctions on Russia's energy sector. The editorial warned that concessions to Moscow could embolden Putin to take even more aggressive action both in Ukraine and beyond.
Sources: unian.net, apnews.com