Fox News commentator criticizes Trump’s plan to import Russian diesel

Fox News commentator Brian Kilmeade said President Donald Trump’s proposal to import diesel from Russia could undermine Ukraine and benefit Moscow. On the weekend edition of “Fox & Friends,” Kilmeade argued that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s objection to the deal was understandable because the fuel purchases would channel money to Russia, which he described as the aggressor in the war.

“The president got ticked off because Zelenskyy came out and said, ‘Do not buy five hundred million tons of diesel,’” Kilmeade said, adding that it was “understandable for the Ukrainian leader to be frustrated over millions of dollars now going to flow into Russia, who started this whole war unprovoked.”

Kilmeade also blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the conflict, stating, “There’s one person who’s responsible: Vladimir Putin. That is it.” He suggested that a U.S. deal with Russia would be a strategic error for the administration.

President Trump announced on his social-media platform that Russia would supply the United States with 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, followed by 500,000 tons in November and an additional million tons thereafter. He wrote that lowering fuel costs for Americans, especially farmers, ranchers and truckers, was his top priority.

The comments came as the administration faced criticism for moving ahead with the diesel purchase despite recent sanctions against Russia and ongoing bipartisan efforts to limit U.S. energy dependence on Moscow.