Trump's zigzag, and the surprising announcement after a call with Putin

US President Donald Trump announced an agreement to purchase diesel from Russia, a month after signing a sweeping sanctions law against it. The announcement, following a call with Putin, was aimed at lowering fuel prices in the US before the midterm elections. Trump stated that Russia would immediately supply 300,000 tons of diesel, with additional quantities to follow.

US President Donald Trump announced this evening (Friday) an agreement to purchase diesel from Russia, a month after signing a sweeping sanctions law against it. The surprising announcement came after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he was expected to discuss a suspected plague death case in Russia. Instead, Trump announced a significant energy agreement: Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November, one million tons "immediately thereafter," and another 3 million tons "within a short period of time." The announcement marks a sharp reversal in US policy, after Trump signed a sweeping sanctions law last month targeting Russia's energy economy, which funds the war in Ukraine. The law imposes sanctions on Russian officials, banks, and a shadow fleet of oil tankers, and bans new US investments in Russia. Trump justified the move by the need to lower fuel prices for Americans, especially farmers, ranchers, and truck drivers, ahead of next month's midterm elections. He called the call with Putin "very successful" and claimed that thanks to US control of the Strait of Hormuz and the energy agreement, diesel prices in the US and worldwide would drop "quickly and at unprecedented rates." Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, welcomed the cooperation.