"A shot in the head": Political scientist explains how Trump helped Putin

Political scientist Vladimir Gorbach, in an article for UNIAN, analyzes the agreement between Trump and Putin on the supply of Russian diesel to the global market. He argues that the actual scale of supplies is modest, and the main concession is a license from the US Treasury Department allowing trade in Russian diesel until April 2027, which he calls an "indulgence" for Putin.

Political scientist Vladimir Gorbach, in an authorial article for the Ukrainian publication UNIAN, analyzes the agreement between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the supply of Russian diesel fuel to the global market. Gorbach argues that the actual scale of supplies is significantly more modest than headlines might suggest. The first batch of 300,000 tons is about 2.2 million barrels, which constitutes only 6-7 hours of global maritime diesel trade. Even the entire upcoming supply (300,000 + 500,000 + 1 million tons) will cover the current deficit for only about a week. The key concession, according to the political scientist, is not so much the volume of fuel, but the license from the US Treasury Department allowing trade in Russian diesel until April 7, 2027. Gorbach calls this license an "indulgence" for Russia's actions in Ukraine and "Trump's concession to friend Vladimir." He also notes that the conversation took place before negotiations between US representatives and the Ukrainian delegation, and the Ukrainian side was merely informed of the result. The political scientist questions the political benefit for Trump, calling the deal "a shot in the head."