Analysis: Trump's shock Russia deal highlights mounting pressure to curb fuel prices

For months, the American president has been searching for ways to ease his party's political pain.He recently pressured European allies to further tap their oil reserves. He deferred federal taxes on the fuel and authorised supplies designated for farm use to be used in interstate trucking.He has also promised that he would not renew attacks on Iran until after the midterms – an unusually frank acknowledgement of the political impact the ongoing conflict is having.His decision to strike a deal with Russia's Putin is only the latest, most dramatic effort.Trump's Truth Social posts often provide incomplete information, of course. The details of exactly how Russia is supplying this fuel to the global market, and what they might get for in return – besides much-needed hard currency – is unclear. It opens Trump to criticism from European allies and American politicians that his administration is now helping to fund the Russian war machine.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the deal a "gift" to Putin that Russia would "repay" with "terror and perfidy"."Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged," he wrote on X.It is a...