Boris Johnson has accused Donald Trump of helping to “bankroll Putin’s slaughter” in Ukraine after Washington announced a deal to release millions of tonnes of Russian diesel onto global markets in an attempt to contain soaring fuel prices.
The former British Prime Minister condemned the reported easing of sanctions on Russian fuel, arguing that the move would provide Moscow with economic relief while Russian forces continue their attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Trump announced that Russia would immediately release 300,000 tonnes of diesel, with a further 1.5 million tonnes expected by the end of the year, as his administration seeks to tackle mounting pressure on energy markets.
The decision comes amid a worsening global fuel squeeze, with Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries disrupting Moscow’s fuel production while the US-led war against Iran has intensified instability across international energy markets.
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The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global oil and gas supplies, has added to the pressure on prices, exposing consumers and businesses to the risk of further increases.
Johnson rejected suggestions that Ukraine should bear responsibility for the fuel crisis, accusing Washington of misrepresenting the causes of the price surge.
“It is sickening that the USA is now lifting sanctions on Russian fuel,” Mr Johnson wrote on X.
He added that it was “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.
“Yet the White House is apparently determined to force American drivers to bankroll Putin’s slaughter,” the former Prime Minister wrote.
Johnson also questioned whether easing restrictions on Russian fuel would deliver meaningful relief to motorists, suggesting the political and economic consequences could outweigh any benefits at the pump.
“It won’t work, and I doubt it will make much difference to the price of fuel.
“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,” he declared.
The intervention highlights the growing tension between Washington’s efforts to contain domestic energy costs and its stated objective of bringing Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also criticised the reported arrangement, describing Trump’s deal with Moscow as “a weak decision by strong partners”.
“Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilised world,” Zelensky warned.
He argued that reducing economic pressure on the Kremlin risked encouraging further military action rather than persuading 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,” he said.
Trump, meanwhile, has blamed Kyiv for disrupting Russian diesel supplies, arguing that Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure threaten fuel availability for American consumers and businesses.
“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,” Mr Trump said of President Zelensky.
“He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel, because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world.
“So he’d better damn well stop,” the US leader warned.
Trump subsequently escalated his criticism of the Ukrainian president, declaring that Ukraine needed “to get a new leader who can make a deal”.
The dispute exposes a fundamental disagreement over how to bring the war to an end. Johnson and Zelensky argue that maintaining pressure on Moscow is essential to securing peace, while Trump has placed increasing emphasis on fuel supplies and the economic consequences of the conflict.
For Kyiv, the concern is that concessions intended to stabilise energy markets could weaken the leverage needed to force Russia towards a settlement. For Washington, the immediate challenge is to contain fuel costs while pursuing its broader diplomatic objectives.
The outcome could have consequences far beyond the battlefield, with the balance between sanctions, energy security and military pressure increasingly shaping relations between the US, Europe and Ukraine.
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