Trump Defends Diesel Deal With Russia; Claims EU Paid USD 250 Bn To Moscow For Energy

Washington, DC, US: US President Donald Trump defended his energy trade policies and pushed back against media criticism on Monday, pointing to the European Union's energy expenditures with Moscow.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that the EU paid USD 250 billion to Russia for energy, while calling out "fake news" outlets for not reporting the same.

"The European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn’t want to get near that story," Trump wrote in the post.

Defending his decision to allow Russian diesel exports, the US President described it as a priority for domestic interest, asserting that his administration acted in the best interest of the nation.

"I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!" Trump added.

Trump's statement comes amid ongoing public debate and media scrutiny regarding international energy markets and foreign oil dependencies.

His remarks come as European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced nearly 1,600 sanctions listings targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex and individuals linked to elections in occupied Ukrainian territories, asserting that sustained economic pressure on Moscow was necessary to end the war.

According to a European Council press release, the bloc adopted restrictive measures against 1,569 individuals and entities, including 826 Russian companies and 743 individuals serving as chief executive officers of those companies.

The latest package brings the total number of individuals and entities listed under the EU sanctions regime supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity to nearly 4,600.

The measures specifically target mid-level suppliers that form a crucial part of Russia’s military-industrial network. These companies collectively generate an annual turnover of at least 20 billion euros and employ more than 250,000 people, according to the European Council.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the new wave of EU sanctions, calling it the "right and necessary signal" towards ending the ongoing conflict.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude towards EU leadership, including European Council President António Costa and European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen, along with the member states, for the adoption of the new sanctions package.

Zelenskyy further cited the recent attacks by Russia on Ukrainian energy infrastructure just a day after US President Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" between the warring nations, claiming agreement from both sides.

Denouncing the newly announced diesel deal between Russia and the US as a way for Moscow to increase its war machine, the Ukrainian President hailed the EU sanctions as necessary to send the correct signal about bringing the over four-year-long conflict to an end.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that Russia does not want to agree to the energy ceasefire proposed by the United States and intends to continue its terrorist air attacks against our people and communities. Just today, the Russians attacked six energy facilities in Ukraine. Across the country, 33 people were injured. This is what happens when Russia sees the prospect of increasing revenues for its war machine," Zelenskyy said.

Earlier on Friday, in a post on Truth Social, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel fuel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes during November and 1 million tonnes immediately thereafter. He said a further 3 million tonnes would follow within a short period, depending on the condition of Russia's diesel refineries.

Trump hailed the diesel deal with Russia as a "big deal", thanking Putin for agreeing to supply "massive amounts" of diesel to the United States.

"I think you heard about the oil deal with Russia. That is a big deal. That is massive amounts of oil coming into our country. I want to thank President Putin. We have massive amounts of oil coming into our country, and it is diesel, which is what we want," Trump told reporters outside the White House before departing for Syracuse, New York, for the midterm election campaign.

On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that proposed Russian oil and petroleum product supplies to the United States and global markets would positively impact the global economy, following a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Friday, during which the two leaders also discussed Ukraine and Iran, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"In discussing the global energy situation, Russia reaffirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and global markets. I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the entire global economy," Putin said.