President Donald Trump has signaled he is ready to expand America's business dealings with Russia once the war in Ukraine ends, just as a tanker carrying Russian diesel heads toward the US under his controversial agreement with Vladimir Putin.
The president declared on Saturday that Washington could resume commercial ties with Moscow after a peace agreement, despite mounting criticism over his decision to reopen American markets to Russian fuel while the Kremlin continues its invasion of Ukraine.
'Certainly, we'll do business with Ukraine and with Russia after this war ends, I would think,' Trump said.
The president added that he wanted to 'get back to life where Russia and Ukraine make a deal, and then we'd be able to do business with both.'
His comments came as the first shipment of Russian diesel under the new arrangement made its way across the Atlantic, with the vessel bound for New York and expected to arrive November 7.
The shipment marks a dramatic reversal in Washington's approach to Moscow and has sparked outrage in Kyiv, where Ukrainian officials fear the agreement could provide Putin with fresh funds to sustain his war.
Asked on Saturday about Russian interest in investing in Alaska's natural gas industry, Trump declined to address the proposal directly but made clear he envisioned a future in which American companies could again conduct business with Russia.
Trump also touted his administration's natural resources agreement with Ukraine, suggesting the arrangement could eventually be worth as much as $1 trillion.
President Donald Trump has signaled his willingness to expand American business dealings with Vladimir Putin's Russia once the war in Ukraine ends
The first tanker carrying Russian diesel to the United States under Trump's agreement with Moscow is heading across the Atlantic, with a vessel bound for New York on November 7 (file)
He argued that the United States should have demanded greater financial compensation for the billions of dollars in assistance provided to Kyiv under former President Joe Biden.
'I feel foolish because all you had to do is ask them, and they would have paid. Meaning the European Union would have paid,' Trump said.
His remarks came just one day after the Kremlin announced that the first Russian diesel shipment under Trump's agreement with Putin was already underway.
'The first oil tanker has sailed off to customers, and regular supplies will continue,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared Friday.
Marine intelligence company Kpler reported that the vessel was heading for New York as its destination, with an estimated arrival date of November 7.
When completed, the delivery will be the first shipment of Russian diesel to the United States since July 2023.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the initial cargo would contain approximately 40,000 tons of diesel, equivalent to roughly 300,000 barrels.
Trump has suggested the agreement could eventually bring millions more tons of Russian fuel into the United States as his administration battles stubbornly high energy prices ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump has also touted a natural resources agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he claims could be worth as much as $1 trillion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fiercely criticized Trump's decision to resume Russian diesel imports, calling it 'a weak decision by strong partners'
Russia's energy infrastructure has come under sustained pressure from Ukrainian drone attacks, with strikes disrupting oil refineries and contributing to fuel shortages
But energy experts have questioned whether the imports will provide any meaningful relief to American consumers.
The inaugural shipment represents just 7% of the roughly 4million barrels of diesel consumed across the US every day.
The deal has drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike over its legality and the prospect of strengthening Russia's finances during the ongoing conflict.
For Ukraine, the agreement represents another bitter setback in its efforts to isolate Putin economically and pressure Moscow into ending the invasion launched in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a stinging rebuke of the arrangement, describing it as 'a weak decision by strong partners.'
The agreement is particularly contentious because it follows Trump's decision to approve sweeping sanctions targeting countries that continue to purchase Russian energy.
That package called for tariffs of up to 100 percent against the five largest importers of Russian oil or natural gas, although Trump suspended implementation of the measures before striking his new diesel arrangement with Putin.
The apparent policy U-turn comes as Russia's own fuel industry faces continuing pressure from Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries.
Those strikes previously contributed to shortages inside Russia, although the disruption has since eased.
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Zaporizhzhia last week
Last month Trump urged Kyiv to halt the refinery attacks, adding another source of friction to his increasingly strained relationship with Zelensky.
Despite the tensions, diplomatic efforts to end the fighting remain underway.
Zelensky revealed on Friday that he had spoken with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner following their consultations with Putin in St. Petersburg.
The envoys had also held discussions with the Ukrainian leader earlier in the week in Norway.
A potential three-way meeting involving Washington, Moscow and Kyiv could take place next month, although no venue has been announced.
'We need diplomacy to move forward,' Zelensky told Washington's Hudson Institute.
The Ukrainian president warned that his country urgently needs additional American-made Patriot missile interceptors, financial assistance and protection for its power infrastructure as winter approaches.
He also complained that restrictions affecting Starlink and Starshield satellite services were hampering Ukrainian drone operations.