Trump and Putin meet

Trump and Putin shake hands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, in August 2025.

Trump's diesel deal with Putin

Trump secured a deal where US temporarily lifts sanctions on Russian diesel and Russia supplies millions of tons of diesel globally.

Oil industry reaction

Oil experts say the diesel deal is a small drop in global oil markets and won't lower US diesel prices.

Trump's Iran war impact

Trump's war in Iran remains the main cause of higher oil prices, not the diesel deal.

Trump and Putin's decade-long bond

Trump has sought Putin as a friend for over a decade, with Russia cultivating him as an ally.

Trump's betrayal of Ukraine

Trump pressures Ukraine to surrender to Russia, calling Zelenskyy a dictator.

Trump's history with Putin

Trump met Putin in 2013 for Miss Universe in Moscow, netting $2 million.

Trump's Moscow Tower project

Trump secretly negotiated a Moscow Trump Tower project with Russian businessmen linked to intelligence.

2016 election interference

Trump echoed Putin's denials about election interference, aiding Russian attacks on US democracy.

Trump's Ukraine pressure tactics

Trump demands Ukraine stop attacks on Russian oil facilities and claims Zelenskyy stole $350 billion.

Zelenskyy's criticism

Zelenskyy calls Trump's Putin friendship a mistake, saying he loves autocrats.

“How can Trump be friends with him? I think that it’s a mistake.”

Trump's disinformation campaign

Trump spreads false claims about Zelenskyy stealing US military aid and Ukraine's war motives.

Trump's Ukraine policy shift

Trump pressures Ukraine to surrender, claiming Zelenskyy is a dictator and wants to keep the war going.

Trump's energy ceasefire

Trump declares an energy ceasefire with Putin, ignoring Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid.

Trump's new Axis of Evil

Trump and Putin propose a summit with Xi but not Zelenskyy to end the war.