The Putin ‘solution’: Donald Trump’s strange deal is destined to fail

October 12, 2026 — 12:05pm

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Donald Trump announced a deal last Friday under which Russia will supply the US and the global market with diesel that Russia may not have and America doesn’t need.

Confronted with soaring US petrol and diesel prices as a result of the war in the Middle East, and with the US midterm elections weeks away, Trump has been searching for something, anything, that might help to bring the prices down, exploring a ban on US diesel exports, allowing tax-exempt off-road “red-dyed” diesel to be used on public highways and convincing the G7 to release 100 million barrels of crude oil and refined products.

He finally landed on a “solution” that could both divert blame for the surge in petrol and diesel prices and take advantage of the “very good relationship” he has with Russia’s Vladimir Putin – a solution Putin was only too willing to embrace.

Blame Ukraine for the price spikes and lift the US sanctions on Russian oil and oil product exports – including sanctions on buyers of Russian energy that Trump himself signed only about three weeks ago – and it will deflect from the fact that the price rises started with the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, while the additional supply will bring the prices down. Genius!

Apart from the fact that what Trump announced may not be lawful – the 2022 Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act says a president has to consult with Congress 90 days before they can lift the prohibition on imports of Russian energy products – they will almost certainly be ineffective.

The president of pretence: Why Trump’s latest ceasefire ‘trick’ failed its first test

Russia used to be the world’s second-largest exporter of diesel. Last year it exported more than 800,000 barrels a day. In........

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