UK pledges to ‘maintain pressure on Russia’ after Trump diesel deal with Moscow

The UK has pledged to “maintain pressure on Russia” through “the toughest sanctions regime” it had ever imposed, after Donald Trump announced a deal to buy diesel from Moscow.

Mr Trump announced the deal to buy more than one million tonnes of diesel from Russia on Friday, as rising fuel prices heaped political pressure on him ahead of next month’s mid-term elections in the US.

Responding to the announcement, a UK Government spokesperson said Britain’s position “could not be clearer”.

They said: “We will continue working closely with international partners to ensure Ukraine has the military and financial support it needs to defend itself.

“We will also maintain pressure on Russia through the toughest sanctions regime ever imposed by the UK, increasing the cost of Putin’s aggression and supporting efforts to secure a just and lasting peace.”

Mr Trump’s deal will see Russia supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately, followed by an additional 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes “immediately thereafter”.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said the announcement would mean “Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be coming down, in record numbers, and fast”.

While no figure has been announced for how much the US will pay for the fuel, the deal will provide a much needed cash injection for Russia’s economy as it seeks to continue funding its war in Ukraine.

The deal brought condemnation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said easing sanctions on Moscow “without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia” was “an obvious weakness”.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (Henry Nicholls/PA)

PA Wire

Mr Zelensky said: “It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world.”

He added: “Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilised world. Russia will ‘repay’ the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged.”

The UK Government spokesperson said: “Ukraine has repeatedly demonstrated it is serious about peace, but Russia has repeatedly rejected full and partial ceasefires while continuing attacks on Ukrainian civilians and energy.

“Russia could end this war today. We remain committed to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes and to working with partners to bring about a durable peace.”