‘Energy ceasefire’: What’s behind Trump’s love-hate ties to Russian oil?

Trump’s energy truce sparks criticism over aiding Russia’s war finances amid diesel shortages and rising consumer costs. Save Share US President Donald Trump has announced an immediate“energy ceasefire”between Russia and Ukraine, days after easing sanctions on Russian fuel to tackle soaring domestic and global fuel prices. The energy truce, announced on Sunday, marks another shift in Washington’s approach to Russian energy, as the Iran-US war and recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities disrupted global oil supplies and pushed up fuel prices. Trump has even asked Ukraine not to attack Russian oil facilities, as Moscow remains a major exporter of diesel. The spike in diesel prices in recent weeks has particularly put pressure on Trump’s Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm elections. Surveys show Americans hold the Trump administration responsible for the soaring fuel prices amid the unpopular US war on Iran. “Attacks on refineries and energy facilities have taken capacity out of an already stretched global fuel market, pushing up costs for transport, agriculture and businesses, with the pain ultimately passed on to consumers,” Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, told Al Jazeera, referring to the mutual attacks on energy sites by Ukraine and Russia. “A genuine ceasefire could help protect supplies and ease some of that pressure, particularly as winter approaches.” However, she warned it was too early to call it a “diplomatic breakthrough”, citing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement that the energy truce came as a surprise to him. Trump’s decisions have drawn criticism from US politicians and European allies, who warn that allowing Russian fuel back into global markets could provide Moscow with new revenue to finance its war in Ukraine. In March, the Trump administration gave a sanctions waiver to Russian seaborne oil. So, why has Trump repeatedly changed his position on Russian energy, and what is behind his latest decisions? On Sunday, Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to immediately stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure. “Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” he wrote on Truth Social, without providing further details. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was not aware of the energy truce, saying the deal was “news to me” but welcomed the announcement nonetheless....