Donald Trump has defended his decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel supplies, insisting he made the “right choice for the American people”, as former British prime minister Boris Johnson accused Washington of helping finance Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.
The dispute has exposed a growing conflict between the White House’s efforts to contain soaring energy costs and Western efforts to maintain economic pressure on Moscow while Russian forces continue attacking Ukrainian cities.
Trump defended the arrangement on his Truth Social platform, arguing that European countries had continued buying Russian energy on a far greater scale.
“The European Union paid Russia 250 billion dollars for energy, and the fake news media doesn’t want to get near that story. I made the right choice for the American people,” he wrote.
The US president’s defence followed a telephone conversation with Putin on October 9, during which the Russian leader reiterated Moscow’s readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the United States and international markets.
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Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow would lift its diesel export restrictions ahead of schedule, making 300,000 tonnes available in October, 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes in December. Monthly supplies could subsequently reach three million tonnes.
Washington has issued a general licence authorising Russian diesel supplies to the global market until April 7, 2027.
The agreement, struck between Mr Trump and the Russian bunker rat, has been condemned as a “catastrophic miscalculation” by Con Coughlin, The Telegraph’s executive defence and foreign affairs editor, who argued that the deal risks undermining American credibility while helping Moscow finance further attacks on Ukraine, the Kyiv Post reported.
In a commentary published on Sunday, October 11, Mr Coughlin accused the White House of prioritising domestic fuel prices over the strategic objective of restricting the Kremlin’s war chest.
“Ordinary Ukrainians will pay for cheaper global diesel prices with their lives,” he wrote.
The decision comes as the US-led war against Iran has intensified disruption across international energy markets, while restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have contributed to soaring fuel costs. Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure have also disrupted Moscow’s refining operations.
Trump has blamed Kyiv for aggravating the fuel squeeze, arguing that Ukrainian strikes threaten supplies relied upon by American businesses and consumers.
“We told them, do whatever you want, but don’t hit the diesel fuel because there’s a big problem, a big shortage. And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel,” Trump said of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“So he’d better damn well stop,” he warned, subsequently declaring that Ukraine needed “to get a new leader who can make a deal”.
Johnson rejected the argument that Ukraine should bear responsibility for the price surge, accusing Washington of easing pressure on Moscow while Russia continues its invasion.
“It is sickening that the USA is now lifting sanctions on Russian fuel,” he wrote on X.
He described it as “transparently ridiculous to blame Ukraine for the spike in prices that obviously began with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz”.
“Putin is murdering innocent Ukrainian civilians every day. The Ukrainians are fighting for their lives,” Johnson said.
“Yet the White House is apparently determined to force American drivers to bankroll Putin’s slaughter.”
Johnson also questioned whether the arrangement would deliver meaningful savings at petrol stations, arguing that any economic benefit could prove limited compared with the political consequences of easing restrictions on Russian energy.
“It won’t work, and I doubt it will make much difference to the price of fuel,” he said.
“If we want Russian oil and gas back on the world market, then let’s end this war – with a free, sovereign and independent Ukraine.”
Zelensky also condemned the arrangement, describing it as “a weak decision by strong partners”.
“Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilised world,” he warned.
He argued that reducing economic pressure on the Kremlin risked encouraging further aggression rather than compelling Moscow to negotiate.
“In Russia, they take any easing of pressure to mean they can keep fighting, to mean they can keep dropping bombs on cities,” Zelensky said.
The confrontation highlights the difficult balance facing Western governments as they attempt to contain energy prices without undermining the economic pressure intended to constrain Russia’s war effort. For Trump, the immediate argument is about fuel supplies and affordability; for Kyiv and its supporters, the danger is that relief for energy markets could also provide Moscow with additional revenue while the fighting continues.
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