President Trump announced that Russia would immediately release 300,000 tonnes of diesel, with a further 1.5 million by year-end, to tackle soaring fuel prices.

He is understood to have inked the deal, which includes easing sanctions, with the Kremlin after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defied his request to end attacks on Russia’s oil refineries.

Kyiv’s crippling campaign forced Russia to introduce an export ban on diesel, piling further pressure on the global energy market as it reeled from the US war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“It is sickening that the USA is now lifting sanctions on Russian fuel,” Mr Johnson wrote on X.

He said it was “transparently ridiculous to blame Ukraine for the spike in prices that obviously began with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz”.

“Putin is murdering innocent Ukrainian civilians every day. The Ukrainians are fighting for their lives.

“Yet the White House is apparently determined to force American drivers to bankroll Putin’s slaughter,” the former Prime Minister wrote.

“It won’t work, and I doubt it will make much difference to the price of fuel.

“If we want Russian oil and gas back on the world market, then let’s end this war – with a free, sovereign and independent Ukraine,” he declared.

President Zelensky described President Trump’s deal with Russia as “a weak decision by strong partners”.

“Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilised world.“

“In Russia, they take any easing of pressure to mean they can keep fighting, to mean they can keep dropping bombs on cities,” he warned.

Just hours after inking his deal with Russia, President Trump issued his volcanic verdict on the situation.

“We told them, do whatever you want, but don’t hit the diesel fuel because there’s a big problem, a big shortage. And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel,” Mr Trump said of President Zelensky.

“He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel, because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world.

“So he’d better damn well stop,” the US leader warned.

President Trump went one step further, declaring it was time for Ukraine to “get a new leader who can make a deal”.

Boris Johnson Blasts Donald Trump’s ‘Sickening’ Decision to Lift Sanctions on Russian Diesel as Iran War Fuels Energy Crisis

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian fuel, accusing the US president of helping Vladimir Putin financially while Russia continues its war against Ukraine. Johnson described the move as “sickening” and rejected the suggestion that Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure were responsible for the latest surge in fuel prices.

The dispute comes as the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has sent shockwaves through international energy markets. Disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments, has intensified concerns over supply, increased pressure on fuel prices and created a difficult economic challenge for governments already struggling with inflation.

Trump has defended the decision as an attempt to increase diesel supplies and reduce costs for American consumers, farmers, truckers and businesses. Johnson, however, argues that easing restrictions on Russian fuel risks providing Moscow with additional revenue at a time when Western governments have spent years attempting to limit the resources available to finance the invasion of Ukraine.

The disagreement highlights a growing tension between two objectives: bringing immediate relief to consumers facing expensive fuel and maintaining economic pressure on Russia over its continuing military campaign. <Cite refs={[“turn435688news0″,”turn435688news9”]}/>

Johnson Accuses Washington of Helping Finance Russia’s War

Johnson’s criticism centres on the consequences of allowing Russian diesel back onto international markets. In his view, the decision risks weakening the economic pressure intended to persuade the Kremlin to end its war against Ukraine.

Russia’s energy exports have long been a major source of government revenue. Although sanctions and restrictions have changed the routes through which Russian oil products reach buyers, energy sales remain an important part of the country’s economy. Additional opportunities to sell fuel could therefore provide Moscow with money that critics fear may help sustain its military operations.

In his public remarks, Johnson argued that it was unreasonable to blame Ukraine for the wider increase in fuel prices when the disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had already placed substantial pressure on energy markets.

His argument reflects a broader concern among supporters of Ukraine: that decisions made to address short-term economic difficulties could undermine the longer-term strategy of restricting Russia’s ability to wage war.

The former prime minister also questioned whether the additional Russian diesel would significantly reduce prices for consumers. Even if new supplies reached the market, the effect would depend on the volume delivered, the speed of distribution, refinery capacity, shipping costs and the wider balance between global supply and demand.

Johnson’s position is that the route to sustainable energy-market stability should involve ending the conflicts disrupting supplies rather than relaxing pressure on Moscow while hostilities continue.

The criticism is particularly significant because the dispute concerns not only energy policy but also the credibility of Western commitments to Ukraine. For Kyiv and its European supporters, sanctions are intended to impose an economic cost on Russia for its invasion. A relaxation of those measures can therefore be interpreted as a political concession, even when the stated objective is to reduce consumer costs.