U.S. President Donald Trump said on Oct. 24 that he sees the U.S. doing business with both Ukraine and Russia after the war ends, despite criticism of efforts to restore commercial ties with Moscow.
The statement comes as the first tanker carrying Russian diesel is heading to New York from the Baltic port of Primorsk, set to deliver 40,000 metric tons of fuel following a supply agreement Trump announced on Oct. 9.
Soon after the announcement, Moscow partially lifted restrictions on its diesel exports, permitting the sale of 500,000 metric tons.
"Certainly, we'll do business with Ukraine and with Russia after this war ends, I would think," Trump said.
Trump 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."
The U.S. president also argued that Washington should have secured greater financial returns in exchange for the billions of dollars in aid provided to Kyiv during Joe Biden's presidency.
"I feel foolish because all you had to do is ask them, and they would have paid. Meaning the EU would have paid," Trump said.
Plans to import around 900,000 metric tons of Russian diesel in the coming months have drawn criticism of the Trump administration from European allies, Ukraine, and members of Congress, as the shipments would circumvent sanctions imposed on Moscow over its war against Ukraine.
The shipment would mark the first Russian diesel deliveries to the U.S. since 2022, when then-President Joe Biden banned imports of Russian oil and petroleum products in response to Russia's war against Ukraine.
The deal comes amid a growing rift between Kyiv and Washington, as Ukraine faces restrictions on Starlink access and reported delays in deliveries of Patriot air defense interceptors.
Trump has also stepped up his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of being unwilling to end the war and calling for his replacement.
The decision to resume Russian diesel imports coincides with a challenging political landscape for Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections, with recent polls showing declining support for Trump.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just 31% of Americans approve of Trump's performance, marking the lowest approval rating of either of his presidential terms.
Meanwhile, 47% of registered voters said they would vote for Democrats if congressional elections were held today, compared with 35% who favored Republicans, giving Democrats a 12-point lead — their largest of the current election cycle.