Opinion | Russia Was Losing. Enter President Trump.
- Trump announced US purchase of millions of tons of Russian diesel — a $4B cash infusion for Putin's war machine.
- Just days later, he declared a surprise 'energy cease-fire' Ukraine never agreed to, after Kyiv's strikes crippled Russian oil refineries.
- Trump scapegoated Ukraine for US fuel prices, hinting Zelensky should be replaced and threatening to cut off intelligence sharing.
- The sequence amounts to a one-man foreign policy pivot from aiding Ukraine to actively bankrolling its adversary.
- The deal does nothing to lower US diesel prices—it only pads Russian coffers and undermines Kyiv's winning strategy.
Brief Summary
According to this Times op-ed, Trump has effectively become Putin's personal pit crew after Ukraine's drone strikes started torching Russian refineries and winning the war. The October 9 announcement of a massive Russian diesel purchase was bad enough, funneling billions into Moscow's war chest while doing nothing for American pump prices.
Why This Matters
This isn't some distant geopolitical chess match—it's your wallet and your moral compass on the line. The next time US diesel prices rise (and they will), Trump's plan will blame Ukraine for fuel costs he created by cozying up to Russia, while simultaneously giving Putin the cash to keep the war machine rolling. If you care about Western security or just basic sanity, buckle up: the US is now actively sabotaging the side that's winning.