Trump Hands Victories to Putin, Who Offers More War in Return
New York Times · LC · trust 27/100
Russia has reaped a diesel deal and an increase in U.S. pressure on Ukraine as President Trump’s political needs align with his longstanding inclinations toward Russia.
Listen · 8:47 min Share full article 197 President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Moscow this month. Credit... Igor Ivanko/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images By Paul Sonne
President Trump proffered sanctions relief for Russian diesel fuel. He publicly called for Ukraine to get a new leader. And he pressured Kyiv to stop a strike campaign against Russian oil facilities that has damaged the Russian economy.
Minutes after Mr. Trump announced the diesel deal, the Kremlin reiterated Mr. Putin’s stance that he would not negotiate with Ukraine at the moment, because he remained angry about Ukrainian strikes during last month’s Russian parliamentary election.
The next day, Russia launched an attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia that killed 22 people, including four children. It was the latest in a near daily drumbeat of devastating Russian strikes , which have dramatically increased the civilian toll in Ukraine as Kyiv sorely lacks air-defense missiles.
And Mr. Putin has signaled that he plans to escalate further, aiming to knock out Ukraine’s power and water infrastructure in what Ukrainians expect to be the worst winter of the war.
Mr. Putin is reaping his victories as Mr. Trump’s own domestic political needs align with his longstanding inclination to tip the scales toward Russia. With the American president focused on trying to bring down fuel prices before a difficult midterm election, he is pushing Kyiv to trade away its leverage for nothing in return.
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