Washington:
Amid bipartisan criticism, US President Donald Trump has defended his last week's decision to temporarily allow Russian diesel supplies to the United States, saying his administration had acted in the interests of the American people. Taking to his Truth Social platform, the US Leader accused the media of hypocrisy for allegedly ignoring the European Union's past purchases of Russian energy.
"The European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn't want to get near that story," Trump wrote.
While Trump did not specify, his figure roughly estimates how much the European Union has spent on imports of fuels from Russia since Ukraine's invasion in 2022. The European Commission has, meanwhile, launched a plan to phase out its dependence on Russian energy.
Defending his energy policy, Trump added, "I made the right choice for the American People -- ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!"
Trump's deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase diesel from Russia dismayed officials in the US, Ukraine and around Europe.
A bipartisan group of six US senators, including four Republicans, have called on the Trump administration to "immediately reverse course" on the deal, saying America should "not provide Putin with a financial lifeline" while Russia is killing Ukrainian civilians.
Other Republicans have also raised eyebrows on Trump's plan. Republican representative from Texas, Michael McCaul, said, "While I understand the desire to bring down diesel prices, I am concerned the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil will only fund the Kremlin's war machine—emboldening more violence and destruction, as we have seen in recent days."
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also pushed back on Trump's comments that it was time for Ukraine to get a new president and that Zelenskyy has not done enough to end the war. She said that now is not the time to hold elections in Ukraine, at least not without a ceasefire.
Trump, who has recently fumed over not being chosen for the Nobel Peace Prize, has blamed Zelensky for being the main obstacle to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. He also criticised the Ukrainian president for not holding an election since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2022.