Nausėda says Trump-Putin diesel deal could weaken Russia’s isolation

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said an agreement between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on diesel would have no clear positive economic effect and could weaken Russia’s international isolation. He called it “a bad day” in an interview with LRT’s “Dienos tema” programme.

Nausėda said the agreement was difficult to assess separately from Russia’s war against Ukraine and argued that economic considerations should not take precedence over geopolitics. He said the decision would not strengthen Ukraine and that Europe should increase its support for the country.

He also questioned whether the agreement could significantly affect diesel prices in the United States. Nausėda said fuel prices were driven by the cost of crude oil, which he linked to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. He added that Russia could not substantially increase diesel supplies because it needed fuel for its domestic market and military, while Ukraine had destroyed about half of Russia’s oil refining capacity.

Nausėda said the agreement could help reduce Russia’s isolation, despite its limited economic impact. He said Russia was seeking to return to international markets through sport and culture, and that Europe should work to prevent this. He said he expected a serious discussion at the European Council this week about the bloc’s response.

He also said Lithuania had stopped importing all Russian energy resources in 2022, while some European Union countries continued to buy Russian energy, albeit in smaller quantities, helping to finance Russia’s war effort.