Nate Silver
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Trump announces deal to lift Russian diesel sanctions, sparking Ukrainian and European backlash
On 9 October, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow Russian diesel fuel exports to American and global markets through 7 April 2027, with the US Treasury issuing a general license temporarily easing sanctions. The deal prompted sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called the unilateral sanctions lift "unfair and dishonest," as well as from British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Critics warned the agreement would provide Moscow with new revenue to continue the war, while international experts noted the announced volumes were too small to materially lower fuel prices.