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President Trump announced a deal to import Russian diesel fuel, a move aimed at easing rising US fuel prices ahead of next month's midterm elections. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticized the arrangement, calling it a 'gift to Putin' and an 'investment in war that must be ended, not prolonged,' arguing it undercuts sanctions pressure on Moscow amid the ongoing war. BBC analysis noted the deal highlights mounting political pressure on Trump to curb fuel prices domestically, even as it complicates US support for Ukraine and raises questions about the administration's broader Russia strategy heading into the midterms.