President Donald Trump continues to play hardball with Russia, according to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Wright defended Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russia during an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.”
In September, Trump enacted a package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and parts of its economy, aiming to pressure Russia over its war against Ukraine. Last week, Trump issued an executive order waiving these new sanctions, other restrictions and certain duties toward Russia.
In early October, Trump also announced a deal with President Vladimir Putin under which Russia would supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the United States and the global market.
“President Trump lifted sanctions only on diesel exports, and what’s the one thing Russia hasn’t been able to export in the last month? Diesel, because they’re running out of diesel,” Wright said.
The Energy Secretary said lifting sanctions would solve two problems: the diesel shortage and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
“It puts pressure on Russia. Russia doesn’t have diesel to export,” Wright said. “The only way for them to export more diesel is to refuse the conflict with Ukraine.”
Wright said Russia would need to enter into an energy ceasefire or scale back its war efforts to have enough extra diesel to export.
“This is not going to give in to Russia. This is an incentive to end the war,” Wright added.
Trump expanded on his reasoning Sunday in an article for Truth Social.
“I am negotiating peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine and I do not want to do anything that would stupidly push Russia away from the negotiating table,” he wrote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said lifting sanctions against Russia “seemed like a mistake” to him. US lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle have also criticized the move, including Republican Senator Thom Tillis.
“Beyond irresponsible. What aspect of implementing a law passed by the Senate 86-11 do the President and his advisors not understand? It is unconscionable for this administration to capitulate to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and massacres innocent civilians every day,” Tillis wrote on X.
He added: “If the president really wants to lower energy prices, he can do it by solving the Iran problem, not by doing a solid job for Vladimir Putin.”
Prices of diesel and regular gasoline have soared globally as the U.S. war with Iran drags on. Following surprise attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran in February, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a major waterway through which much of the world’s diesel and oil passes. Last week, the International Energy Agency said the diesel shortage could last until 2027.
That’s a problem for Trump, who hopes voters will overlook high gas prices and concerns about the cost of living when they go to the polls in November for the midterm elections. Higher diesel prices mean higher shipping costs, which are passed on to consumers in the form of inflated prices for everyday goods.
Wright also appeared on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, during which he said Trump was trying to find “innovative” ways to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“It’s a motivation for Russia to find a way to export diesel,” he said.
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