Ahead of the mid-term polls in the US, President Donald Trump has inked a deal with Russia wherein the latter will immediately supply 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the “American and global marketplace”, with 500,000 tonnes in November, followed by a million after that. Trump has also stated that the delivery is dependent on the functioning of Russian refineries currently under attack by Ukraine. It would all appear ordinary if Trump hadn’t legislated sanctions against countries for doing exactly that:
Ahead of the mid-term polls in the US, President Donald Trump has inked a deal with Russia wherein the latter will immediately supply 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the “American and global marketplace”, with 500,000 tonnes in November, followed by a million after that. Trump has also stated that the delivery is dependent on the functioning of Russian refineries currently under attack by Ukraine. It would all appear ordinary if Trump hadn’t legislated sanctions against countries for doing exactly that: buying oil from Russia and Iran. Trump has been equivocating on the US-Ukraine situation throughout his second term; he publicly chastised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Oval Office in February 2025 for not being amenable to Russia’s conflict resolution plan. The diesel deal now pits the US and Russia as allies, against Ukraine threatening Russian civilian infrastructure, which, in turn, is threatening the US’s energy security. Zelensky has termed the latest Russian strikes on Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia as Putin’s thank-you note for the deal.
There are no forever friends or foes in geopolitics, but Trump’s record of volte-face actions obfuscates the very definition of alliance. Clearly, this is his desperate bid to tackle inflation as his presidency nears its mid-term review. Whether this will help him thwart the Democrats or fuel talk of a Russian hand in polls is yet to be seen. The adverse impact is being felt in European capitals, which are re-evaluating their armament policies and NATO membership. Most European countries continue to source oil from Russia, pontificating about others funding Russia’s war efforts. India must continue prioritising its energy security, undeterred by sanctimony and sanctions.
One Subscription.
Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines
to 100 year archives.
Archives
HT App & Website