Trump defends giving Russia a sanctions break as critics warn it may bankroll Putin’s war
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
President Donald Trump tried to justify a temporary easing of restrictions on Russian diesel exports as a benefit to American consumers, even as lawmakers from both parties and Ukraine’s president said the move could help finance Russia’s war against Ukraine.
President Donald Trump defended a decision to temporarily lift restrictions on Russian diesel fuel exports, portraying the move as a boost for American consumers while glossing over the larger moral and geopolitical cost. In a post on his social-media platform, Trump complained that the media had not focused enough on the European Union’s purchases of Russian energy, claiming the bloc had spent roughly $250 billion on Russian fossil fuels since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He insisted the move was "the right choice for the American People," framing the decision in nationalist terms rather than addressing concerns about strengthening Russia’s war economy.
Lawmakers from both parties raised alarms that the policy could funnel money to Russia while its war in Ukraine continues. A group of seven senators, including four Republicans, issued a joint statement urging that the United States not lift the ban on Russian energy imports until President Vladimir Putin ends the conflict. Representative Michael McCaul, R-Texas, warned that easing sanctions on Russian oil could fund the Kremlin’s war effort and prolong the suffering caused by the invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also condemned the decision, saying the United States’ easing of sanctions "plays into Russia's hands."