Stories

Fri, 09 Oct 2026

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 Analysis: Trump's shock Russia deal highlights mounting pressure to curb fuel prices

The US president hopes to ease his party's pain before next month's midterm elections, writes the BBC's North America correspondent.

* Donald Trump has made a deal with Russia to import hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel fuel
* This decision marks a reversal from just three weeks ago when Trump signed legislation authorizing US sanctions and tariffs on nations importing Russian oil and gas
* The deal is intended to ease pressure on American farmers, who rely heavily on diesel to operate machinery and transport products
* Critics, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, have accused the administration of helping to fund Russia's war machine
* It's unclear how much this move will help Trump's party in the upcoming midterm elections, as early voting has already started and prices may not drop significantly
* The US uses approximately 3.6 million barrels of diesel a day, so even with the promised Russian fuel delivery, it would only meet about half of daily consumption
* Americans may not notice an immediate difference in fuel prices