Kaju doubts Trump’s Russia policy is driven by midterms

US policy expert Andreas Kaju says Donald Trump’s recent decisions favouring Russia and harming Ukraine do not appear to be motivated by the US midterm elections, ERR reported. He said it was increasingly possible that Congress and the Senate would investigate Trump’s motives after the elections.

Kaju was discussing steps including limits on Ukraine’s satellite capabilities for attacking Russia and defending itself, as well as the cancellation of planned sanctions. European Parliament member Riho Terras of Isamaa said Trump had clearly taken Russia’s side in the war and was acting against Ukraine.

“Why? I don’t know,” Kaju said. He argued that if Trump wanted to win the elections, he would have acted differently. Over the past year, Kaju said, Trump has repeatedly backed deeply unpopular Republican candidates in various states, putting some previously safe seats at risk.

Kaju referred to an article in the conservative US publication National Review, which called for Republicans and Democrats to launch a major congressional investigation into the reasons behind Trump’s Russia policy. He speculated that such investigations could begin after the midterms.

Tarmo Kärsna, head of energy sales at Alexela, doubted that Russian diesel would help Trump lower fuel prices or support US farmers. Bringing Russian diesel to the US market would amount to less than a day’s consumption, he said. Markets are also sceptical that Russia can increase its diesel exports, which have fallen sevenfold since January, Kärsna added.